Plastics penalty

Article by Gercine Carter

Importers caught bringing banned disposable plastics into Barbados after July 1 may have to fork out a whopping $50 000 in fines or face a year in jail if convicted.

And they will also have to pay a further $1 000 for each day, or part thereof, during which the offence continues after a conviction has been obtained.

These are major provisions of the Control Of Disposable Plastics Bill 2019 debated and passed in the House of Assembly on Monday, piloted by Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy Kirk Humphrey.

The legislation provides for the “prohibition on the importation, manufacture and retail of certain types of disposable plastics and authorises the use of certain types of disposable plastics . . .”. While the deadline for the importation remains April 1, local vendors and retailers of the petro-based plastics have been given an extension to July 1 to use up their existing stock, following their request for more time. (GC)

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