It´s official, Quintana Roo State Congress approves single-use plastics ban

Chetumal, Quintana Roo. – The Congress of the State of Quintana Roo approved the Law for the Prevention, Integral Management and Circular Economy of Residues in the State, which will create a new integrated management scheme to reduce, reuse and recycle waste, as well as to regenerate natural resources and the environment.

This law prohibits the use of single-use plastic materials and utensils such as straws, plates, glasses, cups, trays, cutlery, among others, as well as derivatives of extended polystyrene (unicel products) in the whole state of Quintana Roo.

In addition, disposable plastic bags for the transfer of merchandise used in stores and supermarkets, self-service stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, restaurants, shops and others, will be also be discontinued.

Equipment and materials used for the construction industry, packaging of goods and products used for medical purposes are exempt from this prohibition.

When closing the works of the last day of sessions of the second ordinary period, corresponding to the third year of constitutional exercise, the Legislative Plenary approved the report with the Act for the Prevention, Integral Management and Circular Economy of Residues of the State of Quintana Roo, which seeks to promote sustainable development and consolidate a circular economy, through prevention and a proper integral management of urban solid waste, bio-waste, special handling waste and hazardous waste locally.

It also has the purpose of promoting, inducing and, where appropriate, ensuring the selection and separation of solid waste and its sub-products.

This norm was the result of various legislative initiatives and proposals collected in work tables on the subject, which were carried out in various cities of the state of Quintana Roo.

The replacement of prohibited plastic products must be carried out in the exclusion zones (islands, keys and vulnerable zones) in six months from the entry into force of the aforementioned reform (that is, after 30 days of publication on the official newspaper).

The rest of the state will have 12 months for the application of the new regulation and stop using the aforementioned plastic products.

Source: The Riviera Maya Times (with information from Gobierno del Estado de Quintana Roo)

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