Island Trading has joined Beyond Plastics Bermuda, receiving the organisation’s Champions Certificate for its efforts to reduce single-use plastics.

Island Trading said that as of January, it has removed single-use plastics from its operations, including shopping bags, coffee pods, plastic cups and plastic utensils.

Laura Farge-Lowe, managing director, said sustainability had long been part of the company’s approach.

“Sustainability has long been part of how we do business. For more than 40 years, we’ve offered products made from recycled materials, and we continue to take practical steps to reduce our environmental footprint,” she said.

The company also said it continues to work with suppliers that prioritise sustainable materials, reduced or recycled packaging and fabrics produced without harmful chemicals.

Beyond Plastics, a collaboration between Keep Bermuda Beautiful and the Environmental Sustainability Taskforce, has been educating the community on behalf of Government’s 2017 promise of legislation to ban certain single-use plastic products by 2022.

Since then the initiative appears to have stalled and the group has urged Government to pass the legislation.

In her statement, Ms Farge-Lowe expressed enthusiasm for the legislation to progress.

“We welcome the Government’s upcoming legislation to reduce single-use plastic waste, and we’re delighted to be fully compliant ahead of its introduction,” she said.