Some representatives of the various groups that attended the informative training sessions on the newly proposed legislation to ban several single-use plastics.
PHILIPSBURG--The St. Maarten Development Fund (SMDF) hosted what it said was an informative enforcement training session for stakeholders in preparation for the proposed legislative changes connected to Plastic Free SXM.
SMDF Managing Director Makhicia Brooks opened the sessions by introducing the Plastic Free SXM project, emphasizing its goal of reducing and ultimately eliminating single-use plastics and polystyrene through community action and legislative change.
SMDF executed Plastic Free SXM on behalf of the government of St. Maarten between January 2023 and February 2025, with support from the Resilience, Sustainable Energy, and Marine Biodiversity Programme (RESEMBID), funded by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France.
The legislative framework developed as part of Plastic Free SXM was submitted to the Ministry of General Affairs in December 2024. The proposed legislation seeks to restrict the production, importation, distribution, and sale of specific single-use plastic and polystyrene foam products.
At the start of the project, stakeholders, including controllers and inspectors, were engaged in consultations and data collection to help shape the proposed legislation. Their input was instrumental in drafting regulations that are both practical and enforceable, SMDF said in a press release on Monday.
Now that the legislation has been finalised and is on its path of review and future parliamentary approval, the follow-up training was held to further familiarise stakeholders with the enforcement mechanisms and their roles in implementation.
Held over two days, the training featured four sessions lasting three hours each, with over 40 participants in attendance. These included controllers from the Inspectorate of Economic and Transport Affairs (IETA), Inspectors from the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development, and Labor, and Customs Officers.
Carla Vlaun, Managing Director of Tackling Law, the firm that won the public tender in October 2023 to produce the legislation, presented an overview of the key legislative provisions, which will restrict the importation, production, distribution, and sale of several single-use plastic items. The first phase of restrictions will apply to plastic shopping bags, straws, stirrers, and styrofoam food containers. The legislation also includes strict enforcement mechanisms to address the environmental and public health risks posed by plastic waste.
Once enacted, the law will carry a maximum fine of NAf. 100,000, a measure that was received with some surprise, but overall strong support from training participants, noting that “stronger fines establish the gravity of an issue and lay the groundwork for effective enforcement.”
“With the legislation now in the hands of the government of St. Maarten, the next steps involve finalising its trajectory towards Parliament for approval.”
SMDF said it remains committed to working alongside government agencies, businesses, and environmental organisations to support the transition to more sustainable practices,” Brooks said.
If approved by Parliament, the proposed legislation includes a transition period, with an outlined phase-out schedule, with six-month intervals between bans at various levels of the supply chain, from production and importation to local wholesale distribution and retail sales.
For more information on the initiative, visit www.plasticfree.sx.
