On the instructions of Joseph Jouthe, the new Minister of the Environment, a large-scale operation was launched this week in the metropolitan area to warn importers and sellers at first and then seize all polystyrene products present on the territory Haitian or attempting to cross the border.

Jeantel Joseph, the Director General of the National Agency of Protected Areas (ANAP) has been instructed in this direction to lead with the Police and Justice, seizures operations in shops, restaurants, through the streets and has near the Haitian-Dominican border of all polystyrene products

Several hundred officers of the Protected Areas Security Brigade (BSAP) are deployed across the metropolitan area and the rest of the country with the mission to enforce the presidential decree on July 10, 2013 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-8995-haiti-notice-ban-on-plastic-bags-and-styrofoam.html prohibiting the manufacture, import, marketing and use in any way of polyethylene bags and single-use expanded polystyrene materials and articles, such as trays, bottles, sachets, cups and plates...

Minister Jouthe recalls that "Expanded polyethylene and polystyrene products have become a major environmental issue for some time not only for Haiti, but also for other countries in the region [...] They are a major source of pollution from the national environment and the insalubrity of our cities [...] the State must at all costs play its role to ensure the protection of the population and that is why my Ministry is very pro-active alongside the population to stop the excesses."

For his part Jeantel Joseph explains that this decision reflects the will of the Minister to take all measures to ensure a healthy environment to the people for a better living environment. He took the opportunity to invite Customs and Justice to collaborate for the effective implementation of this decree to promote a culture of use of biodegradable products that can protect the environment.

Remember that it takes 400 years for a plastic bag to degrade in the environment, between 50 and 80 years for polystyrene objects and nearly 1,000 years for expanded polyethylene and polystyrene products.

However, since the first measures were taken in 2012 to combat the use of polystyrene products and despite the many seizures of goods imported and illegally traded, the situation today remains almost unchanged and these products are still present on the the Haitian market with impunity and continues to pollute our terrestrial and marine environment.

To be followed...

See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-24326-icihaiti-border-important-seizure-of-dominican-contraband-goods.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23433-haiti-notice-polyethylene-and-polystyrene-of-brigades-will-be-deployed.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-21244-icihaiti-environment-5-years-of-ineffective-fight-against-polystyrene-and-styrofoam-products.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-8995-haiti-notice-ban-on-plastic-bags-and-styrofoam.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-6395-haiti-environment-measures-of-protection-for-the-environment.html

HL/ HaitiLibre