Negril gets well-needed clean-up, thanks to stakeholders

Western Bureau:

The resort town of Negril in Westmoreland is now much more pleasing to the eyes than in recent weeks, thanks to the collaborative effort of the local business community, and residents, who collected over 60 bags of garbage from the beach and roadways in that town on Thursday.

The enthusiastic volunteers went into areas, such as Norman Manley Boulevard, which runs alongside the town’s popular beaches, where they collected solid waste, including recyclable materials, which are usually illegally dumped along the roadway, the beach and in drains by motorists and paedestrians.

The Negril Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which was the lead organisation in the initiative, had Nola Stair, its first vice president, leading from the front.

“We partnered with the Kiwanis, Rotary, and homeowners and we collected over 60 bags of garbage,” said Stair, who described the exercise as an overwhelming success. “The waste items collected included pet plastic bottles, glass bottles, juice boxes and cups were collected. We covered the entire Norman Manley Boulevard, including the space where the new Negril iconic sign is located and the town’s round-a-bout.”

According to Stair, the beach area behind the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) office in Negril and the Negril Fishing Village, which were both in a terrible state, are now cleared of all solid waste.

While the Ministry of Tourism is reportedly making plans to beautify Negril, Stair said it was important for business owners and residents of the area to play their part in making the town environmentally friendly.

Aaliyah Cunningham, public relations manager for Sandals & Beaches Negril, said the volunteers, many of whom were hotel workers, felt that beautifying Negril is not only to impress visitors, but also to give locals a good feeling about the town.

“Work like this is super important because when you are selling a product you want to give the best of that product,” said Cunningham. “We want to give the best of Negril and a good way to do that is to ensure that our beaches are clean and that our general environment is clean.”

Cunningham further noted that, since having a safe and clean environment is a critical component in keeping the town’s tourism product appealing, the town’s stakeholders see it as part of their responsibility to ensure Negril is always in a presentable state.