Plastics producers challenge Colombian city’s ban

A resolution banning the use, sale and distribution of single-use plastic and polystyrene items in the Colombian city of Santa Marta (Magdalena department) has been challenged in court by the country’s main plastics manufacturers association Acoplásticos.

In the lawsuit, Acoplasticos argues that the city’s environment department (Dadsa) which issued the ban in Octobr, overstepped its authority. The association hopes to have the ban suspended before the start of a trial, Radio W reported quoting the head of Acoplásticos, Daniel Mitchell.

He said only congress has the authority to implement such prohibitions and that banning plastics “is very dangerous.” Mitchell called for stepping up measures to promote recycling instead.

According to the environmental authority’s resolution, the ban includes sanctions that range from seizure of plastic items to the closure of establishments violating the ban, the termination of licenses, permits and concessions, and fines of up to 500 minimum wages, as the ban is enforced under the 2009 environmental sanctions law.