Activists clear 7 tonnes of beach rubbish in 2021
(CNS): Volunteers who took part throughout 2021 in regular weekend beach clean-ups cleared over seven tonnes of rubbish, most of it plastics, from local beaches across the Cayman Islands. The activists also revealed that 2021 marked a significant increase in plastic waste on our beaches, up more than 30% from 2019.
Plastic Free Cayman and other environmental groups have taken part in dozens of events to keep beaches clean and prevent micro plastics from doing further damage to marine life by picking up even the tiniest pieces. But as another year of trying to do what they can to mitigate the damage comes to an end, there is still no single-use plastic ban in place.
Following the last beach clean-up of the year, Protect Our Future, the environmental activists group that has frequently partnered with Plastic Free Cayman, has recently launched a specific campaign calling for a ban on single-use plastic.
“It seems as though every time we go back to Barkers Beach the plastic pollution situation gets worse,” said POF co-leader Nic Corin. “We need to take action. It is our hope that Cayman will implement the single-use plastic ban that was in the works two years ago.”
Also participating in the latest beach clean-up event, where more than 45 people collected another 500lbs of trash from Barkers, were the CayOcean environmental group and the MCGI Church, reflecting the mix of people that come out to help in this ongoing battle.
Chloe Bentick-Lalli, the POF leader of the latest campaign against single-use plastic and over-consumption in general, said, “It’s sad to see our National Park filled with plastic. Our future is not single-use and we need to wake up and engage in real action.”
Since Plastic Free Cayman was established in 2017, the environmental action group has removed more than 25 tonnes of waste from Cayman’s beaches, with three tonnes of mostly plastic marine debris removed from Barkers National Park alone. While much of this debris washes ashore from other places, the volunteers repeatedly see a great deal of local litter, especially in Barkers.
The use of plastic locally is increasing, not least the use of rapid home test kits, masks and gloves due to the pandemic, adding to the other single-use plastics that we use every day.
“However, this should not become an excuse for continuous local litter, a poor waste management system and inaction regarding the banning of unnecessary single-use items,” PFC said in a release. “Like the students of Protect Our Future, Plastic Free Cayman would like to see a future driven less by consumerism. Instead, our products should be part of a circular economy and more sustainable.”
The environmentalists all say the problem is getting worse and the call to action is critical. As is the case in many jurisdictions, it is Cayman’s young people who are leading the charge on this issue and the challenges presented by climate change, problems caused by previous generations.
However, their generation will be the one that suffers the consequences, as was articulated by Caymanian Dejea Lyons (18), one of POF’s founding members who represented the country at COP26.
“Small Island nations have begun to bear the brunt of the effects of climate change especially on our oceans,” she recently said at the COP26 event. She added that it was up to the people to hold the government accountable for promises they have made to address climate change and government needs to fulfill its commitment.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Category: Community, Land Habitat, Local News, Science & Nature
Great work on the clean up!
I appreciate that it is often hard to tell, but is any of it confirmed as originating in Cayman? A plastic ban here won’t make the slightest difference to the crap that washes in from Haiti and Jamaica – which has to be close to 100% of what is found on our beaches
Not an invalid point,but youare suggesting we can’t make a difference, that it’s not we who need to change. What we need is a multi level response.
For beaches and marine environment generally, Big picture – Regional commitment and cooperation. Pressure on plastic producers and business users.
Locally – Eliminating single use plastic film, bags, food service, water bottles etc etc
Much better pride in place to take personal responsibility for the waste we unavoidably produce. Properly tied up garbage bags, lids on bins, taking home your trash for tidy disposal. Our roadsides demonstrate every day that we produce ample amounts of careless and excessive garbage, much of it plastics.
So No, you don’t get to play the “we’re too small to make the change worthwhile” card.
You’re right in my experience
the vast majority of identifiable trash is from Haiti (French packaging and UN water pouches) which leads me to believe the trash it floats in with probably is too. That said yes there is often waste from parties on the beach; sometimes at Barkers absolutely masses unfortunately. All that said, if a wealthy country like Cayman can’t stop using single use plastics then we can hardly expect the poorest countries in the world to stop!
Thank you to all involved! Amazing effort.
Lots of styrofoam pieces daily. How ironic
Thank you POF, PFC and all the groups that supported you all year.
In case you didn’t notice there’s a gigantic dump of rubbish in Heroes Square, get rid of that if you want a safe and clean Cayman.
Stop dumping your rubbish there instead
Dart doesn’t help, say thank you, or dare admit many these locations are theirs. They need to maintain their property portfolio, or be fined. Not wait for it to get so bad that kids are doing it for them.
Cleaning beaches and not littering are worthy goals. Campaigning against plastic straws weakens the message. Focus on the styrofoam and the plastic water bottles. Gonna have flip flops from Jamaica/ Haiti/DR forever.
>50% of ocean plastic is from nets, floats, and monofilament from fishing.
No such thing as “Barkers National Park”. Prove me wrong.
There is certainly such a thing as Barkers West Bay Area Dump.
Way to deliberately miss the point.
Got a construction or gardening business in West Bay and can’t be bothered to drive to the dump, by any chance?