August 10, 2026
The Single-Use Plastic Problem: How Can Belize Do Its Part
At Oceana, we work every day alongside Belizeans to protect our marine environment so that all of us and the incredible resources we depend on can thrive. We’ve long stood with our fellow Belizeans against the threat of offshore oil because we know how dirty, destructive and harmful both exploration and exploitation are, and we know first-hand the value of our marine life and our livelihoods that depend on a healthy sea. However, there’s another threat that is growing every day, one that’s already all around us and directly impacting our sea and our lives: plastic pollution.
From the food we eat to the water we drink, plastic has invaded every part of our lives. But the quick convenience of single-use plastics has lasting, devastating impacts.
Despite the growing global cry for meaningful action to tackle plastic pollution, world leaders are moving too slowly, even right here in Belize. In 2020, the Government of Belize passed the Environmental Protection (Pollution from Plastics) Regulations, 2020, prohibiting the importation, manufacturing, sale, and possession of specific single-use plastics, including Styrofoam and plastic containers, plates, cups, cutlery, straws, and shopping bags.
By 2022, all those items were to be completely banned and replaced by biodegradable alternatives, which are believed to be safer for both the environment and human health. But more than four years later, a quick visit to any grocery store or restaurant shows a different reality: the “banned” products are still being sold, used, and disposed of without consequence.
Plastic Pollution and Public Health
Plastics are made with toxic chemicals. From the moment they’re produced to the moment they’re discarded plastics pose a threat. It’s not just a threat to marine ecosystems, but to human health as well. In Belize, open burning of garbage, including plastic waste, is still a common practice. This releases dangerous toxins into the air we breathe and the soil we grow our food.
The World Health Organization estimates that one in four global deaths is linked to environmental harm, with low- and middle-income countries, like Belize, facing the worst effects. According to the National Library of Medicine’s Bulletin, many of the chemicals found in plastics have been linked to serious health conditions, including cancer, which is one of the leading causes of death in Belize.
Studies have shown that microplastics (smaller bits of plastic, just five millimetres or less in size) have even been associated with respiratory and reproductive health problems.
Plastic Pollution and Marine Life
Plastic pollution can be just as harmful to marine animals. Scientists say that about 15 million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean each year. This is like dumping two garbage trucks full of plastic into the ocean every minute. Marine animals are consuming plastics and getting trapped in and strangled by everything from food wrappers and balloons to bags and packing straps.
What Needs to Happen Next
This is more than a call for awareness; it’s a call for action.
We need our leaders to take plastic pollution seriously. Belizeans deserve full enforcement of the Environmental Protection (Pollution from Plastics) Regulations, 2020. Laws are only as strong as their implementation, and without that, the health of our sea and our future is at risk.
Our daily actions are increasing the plastic threat, but they can also be the solution. We must continue to use the power of our voices to call for our decision-makers to strengthen and enforce policies that will protect and preserve our natural environment and the lives that depend on it, and we must do our part.
Belize’s marine environment is one of our greatest treasures. If we protect it today, we can enjoy it tomorrow.
