Editorial | Dealing with trash

It is especially good news to hear of a “noticeable reduction” in trash along parts of Jamaica’s coastline, as was recently reported by Jamaica Environment Trust (JET).

This reduction comes off the back of years of campaigning and advocacy by JET and supporting affiliates, such as the Tourist Enhancement Fund and the Ocean Conservancy, who are serious about building a path to a greener, healthier future for this country. It also follows a national ban on certain single-use plastic bags in 2019. Plastic pollution is the bane of our existence and there still is a long road ahead to achieving a complete ban.

Since 2008, JET has been building awareness about the ills of littering and pollution by inviting participation in the annual international commemoration of Coastal Clean-up Day, when tons of garbage, mainly plastic, are usually collected and disposed of. The bulk of the garbage collected consists of beverage bottles, bottle caps, plastic plates, cups, and food wrappers, possibly left behind by beach-goers who selfishly leave their trash behind, maybe in total oblivion of the harm these could cause. But there is an anti-litter law!

On September 21, JET is hoping to again attract hundreds of volunteers to participate in clean-up activities along the shoreline. CEO of JET, Dr. Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie revealed that activities will be scaled down at the Palisadoes Go-Kart Race-Track hub and other sites where there is a noticeable reduction in the build-up of garbage.

Perhaps the environmentalist dream of not having to organise future beach clean-up activity will come to fruition as more initiatives, such as NEPA’s Adopt-a-Beach programme and the involvement of other NGO’s like the Red Cross, and corporate bodies, such as GraceKennedy Limited, consolidate their efforts to clean up the beaches.

PROTECTED

When beaches are kept clean and trash collected before it gets a chance to go out to sea and potentially damage marine life, everyone is protected. Besides, who wants to visit a garbage-strewn beach?

Even as these efforts are bearing fruit, we cannot avoid drawing attention to the national problem of improper waste disposal. Informal garbage sites with household trash and debris strewn all over can be observed in almost every Corporate Area community. And more of these casual sites are springing up. That tells a whole story of the effectiveness of collection efforts.

We cannot help turning the microscope yet again on the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) and ask the question: Why is it taking so long for this agency to have a proper and reliable waste-management programme implemented? The whining NSWMA complained about lack of trucks, and the government purchased new trucks and they have been delivered, but the impact is not being felt.

Kingston urgently needs a new cleanliness drive. It is well established that there is a strong correlation between environmental health and mental well-being. Kingston, the once-beautiful gem of the Caribbean, risks being named one of the dirtiest cities in the region. Think, for a moment what that would mean for the thriving tourist industry. Think, also how that would affect the mental well-being of its citizens.

Such a campaign, we suggest, would require the establishment and maintenance of a strategic plan, which includes rigorous enforcement of the anti-litter law. How difficulty is it to hold litterbugs accountable and demonstrate that the government is serious about creating a clean city which goes beyond aesthetic appeal and focuses on mental well-being?