CitCo Depending in DoE to Enforce Laws on Plastic

Belize’s single-use plastic ban kicked in at the end of March 2022, but the battle against plastic pollution is far from over. The Department of the Environment has given everyone some time to switch to more eco-friendly packaging for food, groceries, clothing, and appliances. However, despite the ban on certain plastics, there’s still a lot of plastic pollution, especially when it comes to managing garbage. Today, Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner emphasized that the D.O.E. has the authority to enforce these laws and crack down on violators.

 

Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City

“We still have the problem with plastics. Plastics create a lot of environmental hazards, causing fires, many of the fires that we saw in the past, this past summer, was due to many of those plastics overheating. Again that will have to be a long-term look, based on the Department of the Environment – how stringent they will be in really policing the legislation that was passed.”