Why Is The T&T Government Delaying The Beverage Container Refund Deposit Bill?

As If It Never Existed and We Don’t Have A Plastic Pollution Problem

The Beverage Container Refund Deposit Bill was supposedly drafted in 1990 and has never seen the light of day. Last year, 2018 the Public Utilities Minister, the Honourable Robert Le Hunte, on live TV promised that the bill will be submitted to Parliament early in 2019. 

This year, he is quoted as saying that he was being ambitious with his “private sector hat” but he is still working on it.  

It seems illogical but the responsibility for the serious environmental hazard that plastic bottles have become, falls under the purview of the Ministry of Public Utilities. Maybe it is because these bottles end up in our waterways which is the responsibility of the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA).  And that’s utilities.

The reality is that it does not matter who was mandated to put this bill forward, we, every Trinidad and Tobago citizen has to play a part in solving this problem.  It affects everyone even the government ministers who know about the bill and for some resewn will not table it.  

Exercising Our Civic Responsibility

Last September 2019, an online petition was initiated by a member of the Inspired Speakers Toastmasters Club to raise public awareness of the existence of this draft bill. The petition is entitled “Enact the Beverage Container Refund Bill”.

Inspired Speakers Toastmasters Club is a member of the Student Guild of the University of the West Indies. This club is an affiliate of Toastmasters International, that provides a self-paced, self-development program in leadership and public speaking. Globally there are over 16,600 clubs in 143 countries, there are 12 Toastmasters Clubs in Trinidad and one in Tobago.

In 3 weeks the petition has attracted 1302 signatures. The members of the club who initiated the petition said; “We need a lot more signatures to make a difference but it is not just about the numbers; more important is that citizens become aware that this bill exists”. 

What Was Not Said In The Budget That Was Shocking

If you listened carefully to what was said in the budget last Monday, you would not know that such a bill existed. Here is what the budget statement proposed about Styrofoam and plastic bottle pollution... 

Ban importation of Styrofoam in the food industry and terminate the use of plastic water bottles in government offices from January 1, 2020 

It was in 2018, in a speech at the Caroni Bird Sanctuary, Planning Minister Camille Robinson-Regis announced that “polystyrene manufacturers have been given time to make their products environmentally friendly”  

Between then and now, it is obvious that not much more R&D was done on how this ban will be implemented. 

One week after the announced ban, last Sunday 13th an article headlined: "T&T Not Ready for Styrofoam Ban". Stakeholders in the packaging industry pointed to the fact that there were no available alternatives.  

According to the article, the alternatives are worse for the environment than Styrofoam and will not alleviate the existing problems caused by this ubiquitous single-use packaging. 

In other words, we will not be able to the micro-particles that will result from adding more chemicals to make Styrofoam disappear. There is no magic in the proposed process if it could be done it will only create a new form of trash with its own set of problems.

NO MORE PLASTIC BOTTLES IN GOVERNMENT OFFICES!  

How will stopping the use of plastic bottles in government offices affect the plastic bottle problem we now face?

It will not. The mere fact that it was important enough to make that announcement in the budget is an admission that there is a problem. 

It's like saying, yes we know we have a problem with plastic bottles in the country but NO we will not act on it for reasons we cannot divulge.

The bill, if enacted will immediately alleviate as a significant portion of the trash problem, And, as an added benefit we will see the rapid development of the recycling industry in Trinidad and Tobago.

Smoke and mirrors are being used here.  

The reality is that in Trinidad and Tobago, 2020 nothing is being done about Styrofoam and plastic bottle pollution. 

Is this the first time you heard about this bill? 

Unlike most citizens, the people working behind the scenes in the government, the Ministers, Politicians, Civil Servants and in some cases agencies like the EMA have all worked on some aspect of the Beverage Container Refund Deposit Bill. 

These people know, they too must have been shocked when it is not announced in the budget.  Truth is that it would be foolhardy for them to ask questions publicly. People need jobs, asking hard questions is for people who are not dependent on the government for a livelihood. 

Something Looks In This Picture  

It begs the question; why is the bill being ignored? The only people to benefit from this bill not being tabled for debate are the bottled water companies. In the draft bill, that is available online, the bottled water companies are allowed to add a deposit on top of their regular prices.  

The owners of bottled water companies must be grinning from ear to ear. Our first reaction was that what the government proposed was like putting a plaster on an amputated limb but it is worse. What they did was not put a plaster, they are hoping the wound will heal itself.  

It's In The News

According to an article published in the Trinidad Guardian as recently as September 29th, entitled...

T&T Produces Around 2,000 Tonnes of Waste Per Day

There was a quote Minister Stuart Young's reaction after the floods and viewing the plastic bottles clogging the drains. 

He said; “Disturbing, distressing, disgusting” He went on to promise that Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi will bring the bill to Parliament by the end of this year. 

It also reported that the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association, especially the bottlers and importers will support the bill.  If that is true, why delay and ignore a piece of legislation that will not only help the bottlers but the entire country.  Something is truly amiss with this picture. 

Featured in the article as a local recycling pioneer was Massy Stores, the only commercial entity in Trinidad that is serious about responding to the plastic waste problem. At all Massy Stores they no longer provide plastic bags to shoppers, they have encouraged customers to use reusable bags. Massy also partnered with a recycling company and was able to recycle more than one million bottles in a year. 

The point is, that this bill is not a secret, so why was it not mentioned in the last budget. It has been around for the last 20 years, why is it still being held up while these weak, useless, ineffective measures are being put in place. 

The answer has to be in the Ministry of Public Utilities. 

Ask The Ministry 

The week before the budget was read, a call was made to the Ministry of Public Utilities, requesting the approximate date that the bill will be tabled in Parliament. 

We were informed that a written request had to be submitted to the Ministry before they could release such information. Because of that requirement, an email was sent and receipt was acknowledged by the Ministry. This week a caller identifying himself as being from the Ministry wanted to know our physical address. 

When questioned as to the reason they needed a physical address if they could send an email. The gentleman said that they also wanted to send a physical letter. That explanation did not make much sense but to be cooperative and get the information, an address was given; to date, we have received no email or letter. 

Why Petition?

We are left with no other choice.  If, because of special interest, our government is unable or unwilling to take a decision that will preserve our environment, then the people must raise their voice. 

Our country has been literally a dumping ground for manufacturers who care more about profits than our environment. They live here too, but their business models never considered the affect these plastic bottles is having on our environment.  

The online petition to enact the Beverage Container Refund Deposit Bill is citizen-driven. Its purpose is two-fold; first, it raises the awareness of citizens that the bill exists and it should be enacted. 

Secondly, and most importantly, the people who sign the petition are all eco-conscious. Eco-conscious people will not merely sign a petition, they will share it with their families and friends. As a people, we need to change the way dispose of our trash. 

We need to change our attitude about our country, the country our children will inherit.  Saying things like "I'm Trini to D Bone" implies that you love your country but love is action, not words.  

Because you are reading these words, you have raised your hands already, you are an eco warrior.  Take action now, don't wait, it will take you less than 2 minutes. Next, share it with your family and friends, every signature represents another voice telling our government to act now.  

We want to tell the politicians that we want them to stop politicking with our future, staying in power should not be sacrificed for the future of Trinidad and Tobago.

This bill is more than 20 years overdue. Put the bill up for debate in Parliament. 

Sign the Petition Here, Trinidad and Tobago Needs Your Love.