Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands ban all single use plastic

get lost Editorial

The Solomon Islands have taken matters into their own hands, banning all single use plastics in order to preserve their beautiful country.

After a six-month grace period, the country this week moved to make illegal the use of single use plastics, which focused on plastic bags, plates, cutlery, cups and drink bottles, while encompassing many more.

CLICK HERE FOR SIX OF THE BEST IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS

The stunning South Pacific Island nation is famed for its water sports, being home to stunning beaches, incredible diving, fishing, snorkelling and surfing. Coral reefs teem with life, providing sustenance and income to many of the 994 islands, with some of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems on the planet. Idyllic stretches of sand and dense tropical rainforest still remain somewhat of a hidden gem off the radar of a lot of travellers.

However, plastic-filled beaches has started to become more of a concern. The country begun to take action in the lead up to 2023’s hosting of the Pacific Games, following concerns plastics were threatening marine life.

Marine animals like sea turtles, whales, and seabirds will mistake plastics for food, at their peril, with entanglement and grave digestion issues a serious cause for concern.

In order to preserve the extraordinary natural beauty here, the step of banning plastics is a progressive one, and follows other South Pacific nations.

In 2017 Palau became the very first country in the world to change its immigration laws for the cause of environmental protection.

Visitors are required to sign a passport pledge to act in an ecologically responsible way in the archipelago.

Fiji meanwhile has turned to underwater sculptures to restore its bleached reefs.

Click here to read our recent feature on Fiji's Yasawa Islands, and hear about the marine life preservation taking.