WASHINGTON– On July 7, a Colombian law went into effect immediately banning the sale, commercialization and distribution of some single-use plastic items including grocery bags, newspaper bags, drink stirrers and straws, and more. This law also phases out other single-use plastics such as foodware, confetti, and fruit and vegetable stickers, by 2030. In response to these initial bans going into effect, Edith Cecchini, Director of International Plastics at Ocean Conservancy, issued the following statement:

“With over 11 million tons of plastics entering the ocean each year, this law is a huge win for Colombia and the ocean. Single-use plastic bags, straws, and stirrers are among the top ten most commonly found items polluting beaches and waterways worldwide by Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. Ocean Conservancy applauds Colombia for this important step to prevent plastic pollution and protect marine life, and we hope that other countries will follow suit.”

Since 1986, volunteers with Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) have collected over 15.4 million straws and stirrers, 12.7 million plastic grocery bags, and 11 million other types of plastic bags polluting beaches and waterways around the world.

The ICC and its local partners, including Sentidos de la Tierra, EcoPazifico, and Fundación Bahía y Ecosistemas de Colombia, have organized hundreds of beach cleanups along the Colombian coastline for the past 30 years. Ocean Conservancy has also partnered with CEMPRE Colombia and the Inclusive Waste Recycling Consortium (iWRC) to prevent plastic pollution and provide support for those working in the informal waste collection sector in the country since 2021.

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