Panama Bans the Use of Plastic Bags
ThisÌýJanuary,ÌýPanama became the first Central American country to ban the use of plastic bags.ÌýThis remarkable moveÌýaims to offset the negative impacts that single use plastic has on the environment and its inhabitants.ÌýWorldwide, plastic production has been increasing rapidly since 1950, largely in the form of products that are used once andÌýthen thrown away. Plastic does notÌýbiodegrade, and instead it breaks into smaller pieces that turn up inÌýoceans and lakes.ÌýBirds and other speciesÌýinadvertentlyÌýconsumeÌýplastic, mistaking it for food, and repeated ingestion of plastic can lead to death. Plastics themselves can leach biphenyl, an endocrine disrupting chemical, and there is evidence that microplastics are creeping intoÌýthe humanÌýfood chain.ÌýÌý
In response to the plastic problem, the National Assembly of Panama passed a law requiringÌýtheÌýgradual elimination of plastic bags in commercial shops,Ìýand Panama President Juan Carlos Varela sanctionedÌýit on January 19.ÌýSmall shop ownersÌýandÌýpharmacies will have 18 months to phaseÌýout their current stock of plastic bags,Ìýwhile larger wholesale operations will have 24 months.ÌýShop owners are required to replace plastic bags with more environmentally friendly options likeÌýcontainers made of non-polluting materials or reusable plastic.ÌýThe law aims to reduce plastic consumption by 20 percentÌýacross theÌýentireÌýcountry, and fines relatedÌýto the new law will be used to supportÌýrecycling programs.ÌýÌýÌý
ÃÛèÖAPP, as a BirdLife partner, works closely with in-country BirdLife partner, the Panama ÃÛèÖAPP Society (PAS). PAS played a key role in the monumental passage of this law by mobilizing with other environmental groups to formally request that the President pass the law. According to Rosabel Miró, the director of PAS, the plastic bag ban is an important first step that will pave the way for more stringent restrictions on other harmful single use products like straws and styrofoam.ÌýÌý
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