“The picture of a turtle with a straw in its nose is a notorious example of what discarded plastic can do. These turtles are swimming here, in the Caribbean Sea. This step that we take now is also good for the climate; throwing away plastic after a single use and then burning it is simply a deadly sin.” — State Secretary van Veldhoven

(Editor’s note: Bonaire recently had its own experience with the dangers of plastics in the ocean when a nesting sea turtle was wrapped in fishing line and unable to swim to the surface to breathe.)

For Bonaire, the livability of the island and the protection of the environmental is the major motivation to end single-use plastics on the island. The coral reef around Bonaire is well known for its beauty, and it continues to be of major importance for the economy. On Bonaire alone, approximately 500,000 dives take place annually.

Collaboration between the BES Islands to eliminate single-use plastics as quickly as possible.

The three islands will, within one year, draw up a plan of action to eliminate single-use plastics, with the goal of having the ban take effect in 2021.The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management will contribute financially and provide legal expertise, assisting with their experience from the European Netherlands in drafting the necessary regulations to ban single-use plastic in the Caribbean Netherlands.