How Barbados is turning the tide on plastic pollution

This case study highlights how Barbados tackled plastic pollution through three key factors: embracing comprehensive policies to reduce plastic pollution, empowering youth through education, and developing a model that can be replicated by other Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Barbados took bold, practical action to tackle plastic pollution with support from the Commonwealth Blue Charter Project Incubator. By providing financial support, the Incubator has been instrumental in assisting Barbados’ progress towards achieving the ambitious goal of reducing plastic pollution by 74 per cent over the next decade through the development of a National Adaptation Plan (NAP).

Embracing comprehensive policies to reduce plastic pollution

The success of Barbados’s approach is grounded in its robust policy framework. The Ministry of Environment and Common Seas used the Plastic Drawdown tool to analyse plastic flows and model the potential impact of various interventions. Following extensive stakeholder consultations, the NAP identified five core policy actions: tackling single-use items, improving waste separation, promoting circular design, expanding drinking water refill infrastructure, and strengthening monitoring and enforcement. Together, these measures form a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to reducing plastic pollution, positioning Barbados as an example of international best practice for sustainable plastics management.