By Rose Hall Development,Sean Hunter
Copyright jis
More than 100 bags of plastic bottles were collected during the International Coastal Cleanup Day activities in Montego Bay, St. James on Saturday (September 20).
The clean-up project was spearheaded by Rose Hall Developments in collaboration with the St. James Municipal Corporation.
The initiative targeted coastal areas connected to the Cinnamon Hill Golf course and extended its reach beyond the coastlines, to the Zion roadway in Rose Hall.
A total of 117 garbage bags filled with plastic bottles were loaded onto the recycling truck, along with 22 additional bags containing various other waste materials.
In addition, a double skip truck was filled with bulkier items, such as a toilet and a mattress.
Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon pointed out that 50 per cent of residents live within five miles of the coastal area.
He also emphasised the need to remove hazardous waste and be proactive in protecting marine life and building resilience as a small island.
“They endanger our marine life, and that is important for our resilience in Jamaica. Being a small island developing state with many geophysical vulnerabilities, it is easier for us to flood out,” he said.
He also told JIS News that while the recent flooding in Montego Bay caused no damage to public or private buildings, cleanup efforts are still needed in the Pie River area to prevent future risk.
He urged residents to monitor flood gauges and evacuate early where necessary.
For his part, President of Rose Hall Developments, Rick Burrowes, echoed the need to collectively tackle improper waste disposal.
“I think we see it each day in our daily lives, when we drive the streets and we almost turn a blind eye as a nation. I think this (International Coastal Clean-Up Day) can really start to highlight the need for proper disposal of our garbage and just taking care of the environment,” Mr. Burrowes noted.
The Coastal Clean-up project attracted over 150 volunteers from nearby residential areas and corporate companies, who eagerly toiled in the sun to make their environment clean.
Public Relations Manager of Island Routes, Toni-Shea Grey, said the initiative should be an everyday act.
“It’s not just important for us to show up for one day to clean the environment. This should be our daily responsibility, because when we make it a habit, we find that on days like today, we have less work to do. So, we don’t have so many plastic bottles, rubber slippers and garbage to pick up, because it should be a habit that we practice,” she said.
Meanwhile, Urban Planner at the Municipal Corporation, Trevion Manning, said the entity plans to create partnerships to reduce improper waste disposal.
“We are working on reducing marine plastics with the UN (United Nations) and the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation. So there are some funds allotted, and we will be using that to help come up with mitigation measures that will significantly reduce the amount of waste that we see coming,” Mr. Manning said.
