Let’s talk about plastic. It’s everywhere. From the tops of mountains to 36,000 feet under the sea (Gibbens, 2019). The problem became so bad on Mount Everest that in January 2020 Napal banned certain single-use plastics in the Everest Region (Katz, 2019). New Zealand, France and the United Kingdom among others have all taken measures to ban single use plastics (MSN, 2019) and a grass-roots movement in the Cayman Islands, Plastic Free Cayman (PFC), is lobbying for their government to do the same.
The Cayman Islands has some unique issues. It is a high-income country with a third-rate waste management system. The population generates over five times the global average of waste per person per day – a whopping 3.75kg. Only 1% of the country’s waste is recycled (Amec Foster Wheeler, 2016), the rest is dumped in open-air landfills where it can blow away and add to the existing issue of marine litter. A waste to energy plant is planned on the largest island, Grand Cayman, however construction of the facility will take at least 3 years and is by no means a perfect solution.
Plastic Free Cayman is a movement which unites the community. As well as having a direct impact on the waste issue though beach clean ups, they also work to build awareness within the population, encouraging individuals to reduce their plastic usage and educating them on the dangers of single-use plastic. In a country with a population of under 70,000, public pressure can influence governmental policies and the hope is that government-funded initiatives will continue the work PFC members are currently undertaking voluntarily. One of the reasons that I find the project so inspiring is that it started with one person’s decision to make a change and has resulted in hundreds of residents changing their behaviour towards single-use plastics.
The plastic problem is not covered by its own Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), however the causes and implications of plastic usage link with many of the UN’s goals. According to the Plastic Soup Foundation (Van Uffelen, 2018), the fight against plastic can be linked to at least seven SDGs. The Plastic Free Cayman project contributes to them in the following ways:
1. By conducting beach clean-ups and removing plastic waste the project contributes to:
a. SDG 14: Protecting the seas and oceans
b. SDG 15: Restore ecosystems and preserve biodiversity
2. By raising awareness and advocating for a ban on single-use plastics, the project will positively contribute to:
a. SDG 12: Sustainable consumption and production (less waste entering the environment)
b. SDG 11: Resilient and sustainable cities (less plastic waste in land-fills)
c. SDGs 3 and 6: Health and well-being / Clean drinking water and good sanitation (less nanoplastics and chemicals from plastics in drinking water which can have an adverse effect on health)
d. SDG 13: Stop climate change (most plastics are made from fossil fuels)
The ultimate goal of Plastic Free Cayman is to become redundant within the next few years. Until then they will be making a positive contribution to our environment one plastic bottle at a time.
To find out more about the project, watch the video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZZEWEnwBPA&feature=youtu.be
Blog and video references
Amec Foster Wheeler. (June 2016). National Solid Waste Management Strategy for the Cayman Islands. Amec Foster Wheeler Environment and Infrastructure UK Limited, for the Government of Cayman Islands. Retrieved from: http://ministryofhealth.gov.ky/sites/default/files/36082%20Strategy%20Final%20Report%2016229i1.pdf.
Gibbens, S. (July 3, 2019). Plastic Bag Found at the Bottom of World’s Deepest Ocean Trench. National Geographic. Retrieved from: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/plastic-bag-found-bottom-worlds-deepest-ocean-trench/
Katz, B. (August 28, 2019). To Clean Up Everest, Nepal Is Banning Single-Use Plastics on the Mountain. Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved from: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bid-clean-everest-nepal-banning-single-use-plastics-mountain-180973005/
Kaza, S., Yao, L. C., Bhada-Tata, P, Van Woerden, F. (2018). What a Waste 2.0 : A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050. Urban Development. Washington, DC: World Bank. Retrieved from: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/30317
MSN. (June 18, 2019). 13 countries that have banned single-use plastics). MSN News. Retrieved from: https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/photos/13-countries-that-have-banned-single-use-plastics/ar-AAD1RAE
Van Uffelen, C. (August 17, 2018). Global Sustainability Goals and Plastic Soup. The Plastic Soup Foundation. Retrieved from: https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/en/2018/08/global-sustainability-goals-and-plastic-soup/
Pictures and additional video footage courtesy of Plastic Free Cayman
Drone footage of the landfill courtesy of The Cayman Compass
