Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 11, 2018 (SKNIS): Citizens and residents alike in St. Kitts and Nevis are strongly encouraged to reduce their use of plastics in their everyday lives as plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time with negative effects on human, plant, animal and marine life.
“We are realistic and we recognize that plastics have become an integral part of our lives and so what we are doing is creating awareness of the need to reduce the number of plastics that is generated, especially single use plastics,” said Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Diannille Taylor-Williams, while appearing on “Working for You” on Wednesday, July 11.
Mrs. Taylor-Williams touched briefly on the initiative of a “Plastic Free July”, while at the same time encouraging persons to be more aware of their plastic use. So noted that with such awareness we can create a cleaner world for generations to come.
“…where we are today, there are some plastics but they are used multiple times and we all know about the durability of plastics and their flexibility. Plastic is even used in making clothes, and more and more vehicles are being manufactured using plastics but a vehicle is not a one use item,” she said. “That is why there is such a thing as a plastic-free July. Not that it ends in July, but this is where we heighten the awareness of the need for us to end plastic pollution.”
The assistant secretary extended thanks to a number of stakeholders for partnering with the Ministries of Tourism, both in St. Kitts and Nevis, to assist with the promotion of a plastic-free July. She encouraged others to take a stand and play their part to ensure that the message about ending plastic pollution reaches throughout St. Kitts and Nevis.
Vanessa Webbe, Tourism Officer in Nevis, shared similar sentiments and noted that St. Kitts and Nevis can succeed in its quest to reduce the use of plastics.
“I want to say assertively that we can eliminate the single use of plastics and I think overtime, reduce plastics. So let us continue the discussion and encourage each other and remind each other to go plastic free,” she said.
Just last month on June 05, St. Kitts and Nevis joined the rest of the world to observe World Environment Day under the theme: “Beat Plastic Pollution”.
The Department of Environment uses the month of June annually to promote environmental awareness in schools, and among the general public. This year an outreach focus for the month of June was on the timely international theme of reducing the global dependency on plastics. It’s a theme that resonates in the Federation and calls for us to take a serious look at how much plastics play a part in our lives and the impact its disposal is having on the environment.