Who We Are

Vision:

A Bermuda community committed to reducing plastic pollution through collective and individual actions.

Mission: 

Working to increase community awareness and commitment to reducing Bermuda’s use of single-use plastics, supporting Government’s ban on SUPs and assisting the transition to more sustainable practices throughout the island.

Providing a supportive network for change

Beyond Plastic Bermuda (BPB), a collaborative campaign created by the island’s environmental nonprofit groups which includes BEST and KBB as well as concerned individuals. BPB’s goal is to support the Bermuda Government’s intended ban on single-use plastic (SUPs) and to act as agents of change in the community by educating the public about the perils of plastic pollution: its impact on health and the environment, as well as the  promoting safe alternatives. See the Government’s proposed policy here: ban on single-use plastics.

Plastics are directly contributing to the decline in the environmental health of our oceans and are having a direct impact on the health of every species, including humans, on earth. The whole Bermuda community needs to foster the necessary conversations to assist everyone in their education and understanding of the negative impacts of plastics and to empower them to embrace alternatives and switch to reusable products. Bermuda’s size and location makes this a particularly relevant issue which we can no longer ignore.

BPB hopes to assist the Government in fostering an environment that will encourage innovation and public/private partnerships to create a sustainable model for a reduction in single-use plastics.The intention to ban twelve categories of items, whilst not an easy paradigm shift, is a vital one for our community. Bermuda has the opportunity to become a world leader in demonstrating how a community can live plastic free which will not only clean up the environment, improve our health but also be attractive to travellers who seek out healthy and sustainable destinations.

BPB aims to reduce plastic pollution through collaboration and individual actions. As a collaborative campaign, we will work together to increase awareness and commitment to reducing Bermuda’s single-use plastic, support the Government’s legislative reform on single-use plastic and assist the transition to more sustainable practices throughout the island. It is important to underline the need for flexibility and continual re-evaluation during this period of ambitious change.

The problem with plastic

Since the 1950s plastic production has outpaced production of any other product and the majority of this is single-use plastic. All of the plastic produced up until today still exists (with the exception of that, which is incinerated). As an island nation we are acutely aware of the threat of plastics to our environment and the direct impact on marine life, less so on the plastic particles and toxins that are infiltrating ourselves, ultimately through the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. While the majority of the plastic arriving on our shores is not from our waste stream we are guilty as a country for contributing to the issue as evidenced by the 30 mT Keep Bermuda Beautiful removes from our roadsides, parks and trails each year; and we would be naive to not accept more enters the water that surrounds us.

An environmental ideal would be to no longer use any plastic, however, there are benefits to some in a medical setting. However, most plastic we can do without. Single-use plastic represents an unsustainable use of resources and makes a significant contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. It is a complex issue and the wider sustainability and environmental justice issues need to be fully considered in the wider context of Bermuda making this change. However, while we must reduce our use of single-use plastic and plastic in general by switching to alternatives we must make sure to choose products that lead to further local and global issues.

Ultimately, there is no good solution to plastic disposal and with the threat to human health and the environment we have to accept that this man-made substance has to be discontinued. There is no sustainable model. There is no away. Plastic will continue to wreck havoc for generations unless we take the difficult steps to remove it from our everyday lives.

Goals of the campaign

• To educate the public about the environmental and human health impact of plastics.
• To offer guidance regarding safe alternatives to single-use plastics.
• To encourage and support the Government’s legislation and policies to reduce and eliminate single-use plastics.
• To encourage and support the public to reduce and or eliminate single-use plastics where possible.
• Encourage entrepreneurship and innovation to generate circular models which encourage success

Please contact us if you are interested in joining the Beyond Plastic campaign info@beyondplastics.bm

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Meet The Team