Since 2017, the St. Kitts Sustainable Destination Council together with the St. Kitts Ministry of Tourism, has championed a movement for a “Plastic Free St. Kitts.” Through various community engagement activities, the island-wide initiative combats plastic pollution and marine debris by raising awareness and empowering residents and businesses to reduce their consumption of single-use products. By minimizing pollution along St. Kitts’ shorelines and seas, this important initiative plays an important part in preserving the destination’s health, conserving its marine environments, and sustaining its tourism-driven economy.
Background
Like many tropical island destinations, St. Kitts and Nevis is highly-reliant on tourism, with 1,297,385 (ECCB, 2020) international tourist arrivals in 2018. As most travelers come to the islands for relaxation and adventure, St. Kitts’ attractive beaches and vibrant marine life are essential elements of its visitor appeal. Yet one threat to these important tourism assets is the increasing presence of plastic debris along St. Kitts’ coastlines and seas. In addition to degrading the island’s natural beauty, this pollution harms sensitive marine wildlife, such as the critically endangered hawksbill turtles that nest on St. Kitts’ beaches. Reducing plastic pollution is thus necessary to safeguard the island’s marine ecosystems and sustain the tourism industry that drives the local economy.
A movement for a plastic free St. Kitts
To foster collaboration around sustainable development on the island, the St. Kitts Sustainable Destination Council (SDC) was established as a multi-stakeholder advisory body to the Ministry of Tourism in 2013. By uniting the public and private sector around joint action, the SDC addresses the most pressing environmental and socio-cultural challenges in St. Kitts. Recognizing the need to combat plastic pollution within the Federation, the SDC has championed a movement for a “Plastic Free St. Kitts.” Originally launched in 2017 as a monthlong campaign aligned with the global Plastic Free July campaign, the movement has since expanded into an education and advocacy initiative that takes place year-round. Through various community engagement activities, the “Plastic Free St. Kitts’ initiative aims to minimize island-wide pollution and preserve environmental health by empowering residents and businesses to reduce their consumption of single-use plastic products.
Public Awareness & Education
Since its inception, the initiative has strived to shift the local mindset and stimulate widespread demand for improved waste management in St. Kitts. This has been accomplished through a series of awarenessraising activities, including television and radio appearances, social media communications, an annual march, screenings of marine plastics documentaries for over 200 stakeholders, and presentations to community organizations and six local schools. These activities shed light on the growing problem of plastic waste, and its consequences for marine ecosystems and tourism activities, such as beach-going and diving. In addition to establishing the importance of pollution prevention, the initiative educates stakeholders on sustainable waste management practices. Actionable tips and recommendations are disseminated to promote improved waste reduction, re-use, and recycling habits by individuals and businesses. For example, businesses are encouraged to replace plastic straws with compostable alternatives and only give them out when customers request them.
Encouraging Plastic Alternatives
The initiative has also raised discussion and interest around plastic alternatives, such as compostable and reusable items. Reusable bags are sold for discounted prices at local supermarkets to encourage shoppers to avoid plastic bags. Proceeds from these sales benefitted the Heart of St. Kitts Foundation, a local organization that sponsors communitybased sustainability projects on the island. Metal straws and cups are also distributed to replace their plastic counterparts and the SDC offers businesses guidance on how to source plastic alternatives. Since the launch of the initiative, about 2,000 reusable bags and 500 cups have been distributed, and more businesses have started using sustainable products.
The Art of Repurposing Plastics
A particular emphasis has also been placed on repurposing plastics as an innovative means of raising awareness. Each year, repurposing competitions are held for school children and the general public. Participants are challenged to craft their used plastics into useful items, such as jewelry, vases, and other household items. In 2018, rubbish collected from local beaches was used to create a public art piece that visualizes the impacts of pollution on marine life by depicting fish swimming in an ocean of plastics. Similarly, the SDC has constructed floats out of plastics and styrofoam for St. Kitts’ Carnival parade each year as a form of artistic awareness. Last year’s design portrayed plastic monsters taking over the pristine island. It remains on display at the Pelican Mall, a business hub for residents and visitors.
Beach Clean-Ups
Over the years, the SDC has partnered with the Heart of St. Kitts Foundation to host a number of beach cleanups across the island. To date, over 300 volunteers have participated in these events. The SDC uses the Clean Swell app to track the amount and types of trash collected during these cleanups. This valuable data helps the SDC identify the top types of pollutants to target through future activities.
Looking to the future
While the Plastic Free St. Kitts initiative has made impressive progress during its first three years, the SDC holds high aspirations for what’s to come. The activities to date serve as important building blocks that will pave the way for action-oriented commitments and new policies as residents become more receptive to change. Future objectives include launching a new awareness video, advocating for financial incentives for sustainable products, eliciting waste reduction commitments from businesses, seeking Cabinet support for the banning of single-use plastics, and adhering to the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative.
Source: United Nations Environment Programme (2021). Compendium of case studies on solid waste management.
