A long-awaited Bill designed to stamp out single-use plastic pollution was tabled in Parliament today, eight years after it was first promised.

But no plastic items will be banned until after the legislation is passed and consultations take place, said Jaché Adams, the Minister of Public Works and Environment.

He said the Single-Use Plastics Act 2026 would take a phased approach to implementation and items such as plastic bags, straws, food packaging, water bottles and cutlery would not be banned until consultations had taken place.

The issue was raised in the 2018 Speech to the Throne with the goal to eliminate them by 2022.

Mr Adams said it was “a Bill not designed to ban every item overnight, but to establish the legal framework for Bermuda’s transition away from the most harmful single-use plastics through consultation, science and a phased, responsible approach”.

He said of the Bill: “It creates the legislative structure we need to regulate single-use plastics effectively and sustainably. It empowers the Government to add items to a schedule only after consultation, only after listening to stakeholders and only after determining that alternatives are viable for both our environment and our economy.”

As such, he said the schedule of the Bill had been intentionally left empty.

“We are not rushing ahead with bans without first hearing from businesses, environmental organisations, students, seniors and all those who interact with these products every day,” he said.

“Instead, this Bill lays the foundation on which we will build a careful, well-managed transition that works for the entire country.”

Download PDF File

Ministerial Statement - Single Use Plastics.pdf

Entities to be consulted include environmental non-governmental organisations, retailers and grocers, restaurants and small businesses, importers and manufacturers, and waste management experts.

He said that if, through consultation, it was found that plastic straws, for example, were identified as an appropriate item for restriction, it would occur only after Bermudians have been fully engaged and the timelines were “clear and responsible”.

“Our goal is not disruption, our goal is progress,” he said.

Mr Adams said that the Ministry of Public Works and Environment would be embarking on an education campaign in collaboration with environmental groups, schools and community organisations.

He emphasised the importance of Bermuda’s marine ecosystem and that it was central to the island’s tourism product, the fishing sector and the health of the population.

He said that plastic pollution threatened that foundation and stressed that plastic particles broke down into micro plastics, which are found in the water, sand, fish and even our own bodies.

“This is not speculation, it is established science,” he said. “Local environmental leaders have been sounding the alarm for years. Keep Bermuda Beautiful has frequently reminded us that, ‘every piece of plastic ever created still exists somewhere in the environment’.

“Their decades of clean-up data demonstrate the growing presence of plastic fragments on our beaches, often originating from everyday convenience items that are used once and discarded.

“Similarly, the organisation Beyond Plastics Bermuda has stated publicly that tackling single-use plastics is essential for ‘preserving Bermuda’s environmental health for future generations’.

“They have called for bold action from government and the community alike, emphasising that the challenge is solvable if we approach it together.”

Mr Adams said the Bill answered the call.

He also acknowledged that the One Bermuda Alliance had supported measures to address the environmental issue.

The Royal Gazette has approached Beyond Plastic Bermuda and KBB for comment.

In 2019, Walter Roban, the former Minister of Home Affairs, said the Government was drafting legislation to phase out single-use plastics and would consult with community groups to help end their importation.

He added: “It will be a phased approach so that by 2022 Bermuda can be where we have planned to be, which is plastic free, from the standpoint that we will not be importing additional single-use plastics into the country.”

However, the plan stalled.

It was raised again in July 2024 when Mr Roban said a paper was being prepared to present to Cabinet before the end of the summer

In November 2024, Mr Roban said the Attorney-General would soon be drafting legislation to phase out single-use plastics.

Mr Adams said that consultation that had already taken place in the past would still be taken into consideration.

He said: “I recognise that we have already engaged in extensive consultations on this issue over several years and I want to be clear that this work was instrumental in shaping the Bill which will be tabled today, one that reflects the voices, priorities, and lived realities of those who contributed.”

To read Mr Adams’s statement, click on related media.