Beyond Plastic supports the community in transitioning away from SUPs

Beyond Plastic Bermuda (BPB), is a new organisation created by a collaboration of Bermuda’s environmental non-profit groups including BEST, KBB, Greenrock and several concerned individuals. BPB is committed to supporting Government’s intended ban on single-use plastics (SUPs) and to act as agents of change in the community through the provision of information surrounding the use of SUPs and the danger they pose to both the environment and our health.  This is coupled with researching  safe options to assist in the transition from SUPs to environmentally sustainable alternatives.

Since the 1950s plastic production has outpaced production of any other product and the majority of this is single-use plastic. All of the plastic produced up until today still exists (with the exception of that which is incinerated). As an island nation we are acutely aware of the threat of plastics to our environment and the direct impact on marine life, less so on the plastic particles and toxins that are infiltrating ourselves, ultimately through the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. While the majority of the plastic arriving on our shores is not from our waste stream we are guilty as a country for contributing to the issue as evidenced by the 30 metric tons Keep Bermuda Beautiful removes from our roadsides, parks and trails each year; and we would be naive to not accept more enters the water that surrounds us. 

Single-use plastic represents an unsustainable use of resources and makes a significant contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. It is a complex issue and the wider sustainability and environmental justice issues need to be fully considered in the wider context of Bermuda making this change. However, while we must reduce our use of single-use plastic and plastic in general by switching to alternatives we must make sure we choose alternative products that do not lead to further local and global issues.

Ultimately, there is no good solution to plastic disposal. Considering the critical threat to human health and the environment we have to accept that this man-made substance has to be discontinued. There is no sustainable model. Plastic will continue to wreck havoc for generations unless we take the difficult steps to remove it from our everyday lives.

Beyond Plastic’s focus is on four goals:

• To educate the public about the environmental and human health impact of plastics.

• To offer guidance regarding safe alternatives to single-use plastics. 

• To encourage and support the Government’s legislation and policies to reduce and eliminate single-use plastics. 

• To encourage and support the public to reduce and or eliminate individual single-use plastics where possible.

You should avoid plastics to improve your personal health and the overall health of the environment. The world will be a healthier place if we reduce our use of plastics. The biggest impact an individual can make is by reducing their use of single use plastic items. 50% of all plastic produced is for single use and 14% of all litter is beverage containers without even counting the caps. Though Bermuda has a small impact on the global environment, we each have a responsibility to be a part of the global solution.

Our Single-use Plastics campaign is easily stated as: 

Rethink if you really need a product that contains a single use plastic.

Refuse to buy products that are made of or use plastic in their packaging.

Replace an item made of single use plastic with another reusable option.

Reuse plastic items where that is possible and is a healthy choice.

‘Recycle’ is not on the list because it is not an option for plastics in Bermuda. Even in countries that do recycle plastics, only a small percentage is ever actually recycled. 

Beyond Plastic Bermuda encorages you to view the very important film: The Story of Plastic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCNanJNJ8JA

Follow us online: facebook.com/beyondplasticbermuda or instagram.com/beyondplasticbermuda

For more information or questions concerning single-use plastics, please e-mail:

Katie at katie@kbb.bm or Erich at plastics@best.org.bm