SLYOU Magazine Issue 2 | Page 36

BUSINESS NEWS Styrofoam and Plastics (Prohibition) Act passed by Saint Lucia Parliament In keeping with Government’s promise to continue plans to reduce the dependence of single- use plastic on the island, the Saint Lucia Parliament passed the Styrofoam and Plastics (Prohibition) Act on June 11, 2019. This Act is a stepping-stone in Saint Lucia’s efforts to have a clean, safe and healthy environment and this important instrument will assist in the enforcement of a reduction in single-use plastic and promote environmental sustainability. The Act took effect on August 1, 2019, with a ban on the importation of all Styrofoam® and selected single-use plastic food service containers. Therefore, any Styrofoam® and selected plastic food service containers arriving in Saint Lucia after July 31, 2019 will not be released by the Department of Customs and Excise. The Act provides further details on the items that will be restricted as of August 1, 2019 and August 1, 2020, with a twelve-month phase-out period for phase 1 and 2 respectively. The Styrofoam and Plastics (Prohibition) Act will be in the Gazette and available for the public perusal. All importers were encouraged to declare their stock of Styrofoam and single-use plastics to the Department of Sustainable Development by August 1, 2019. Minister with responsibility for Sustainable Development, Dr. Gale T.C. Rigobert, said she is pleased with the support that her Ministry has received from stakeholders and interested parties thus far and encourages the public to continue partnering with the government to ensure a healthy environment for all. Excellent Stores St. Lucia officially launches its Gift Registry Service Lauded as an unrivaled experience, Excellent Stores Gift Registry offers the finest gift selection, allowing individuals to create and share with friends and family the perfect gift list for all of life’s special moments—from weddings and house-warmings to baby showers and christenings, to birthdays, graduation, anniversaries and retirement. myexcellentstores.com and a copy of the full gift list emailed to the registered individual so it can easily be shared with friends and family. Known for making the shopping experience faster and less stressful while giving individuals control over what they receive, setting up a Gift Registry with Excellent Stores is a simple four-step process and is absolutely free! Beyond its easy, seamless process, what makes the Excellent Stores Gift Registry even more amazing is the fact that all registered individuals have the opportunity to purchase any remaining or unpurchased registry items from the wish list at a 10% discount within one-month of the event. It begins with a visit to Excellent Stores at the Johnsons Centre in Rodney Bay, Gros Islet. With assistance from a friendly trained Excellent Stores Gift Registry Associate, individuals can create their gift registry choosing their favourites from the wide selection of items available at Excellent Stores. The gift registry is then uploaded to www. Lastly, with the gift list live and circulated, family and friends now have the opportunity to share in the celebration by seamlessly purchasing from the gift wish list at Excellent Stores. “Celebrating life’s moments should always be a wonderful experience; no one should ever have to worry or be stressed out about what gift to get, where or how do I get a gift or whether this gift is going to be affordable,” Director of Marketing at Excellent Stores, Lisa Siu Chong, stated. “The Excellent Stores Gift Registry service checks off all of 34 SL-YOU | It’s All About Business the boxes and makes the process seamless and hassle-free!” Moreover, at the close of the registry, event planners will receive 5% of all purchases made loaded onto an Excellent Stores Gift Card. Additionally, Excellent Stores Gift Registry offers easy exchanges, returns and a standard warranty on all applicable products. Excellent Stores St. Lucia also looks forward to launching the Gift Registry full digital gift registry service with an integrated online purchase platform in the near future. About Excellent Stores: Excellent Stores is the largest department store in Trinidad and Tobago with the widest variety of quality consumer products at great prices. With six locations in Trinidad, on their 60th anniversary in 2018, they took the business regionally and expanded to St. Lucia where they are located at Johnsons Centre #2 Bella Rosa Road, in Rodney Bay. www.slyoumag.com | September-October 2019