Mr. President, I beg to give notice that at the next sitting of the Senate I will move:

READ MOTION

WHEREAS Jamaica has a waste management problem due to poor habits and inadequate resources, and much of the items that enter our waste stream is non-biodegradable;

AND WHEREAS these items pose their own individual challenges to our waste management conundrum and offer very little opportunities by way of recycling or reuse;

AND WHEREAS, as a small island developing state, Jamaica is particularly susceptible to the effects of climate change as a result of poor environmental management by the use of such materials;

AND WHEREAS action is required to significantly reduce un-recyclable material entering our waste stream, while simultaneously creating production opportunities for local manufacturers for alternate packaging materials;

AND WHEREAS no single action will solve our problems in this area, but rather a series of well- considered policies over the short term:

BE IT RESOLVED THAT Jamaica ban the importation of plastic bags below 50 gallon capacity and all finished goods made from Styrofoam; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT we curtail the production of said items in Jamaica, unless they include the enzyme which makes them bio-degradable.

Senator Matthew Samuda

July 1, 2016