In light of the ban on single-use plastic bags, community relations manager at the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) Rachel Reid is encouraging Jamaicans to use more cardboard boxes to package their waste.

Speaking at a Policy Forum hosted by the Management Institute for National Development (MIND) in Kingston yesterday, Reid said that cardboard boxes are made of biodegradable material, unlike the single-use plastic bags, which are harmful to the environment.

She said that although there is a ban on single-use plastic bags, garbage collectors will continue to collect waste items that are packaged in these bags.

The forum was held under the theme 'Remove, Reduce, Recycle: An Imperative for Sustaining a Healthy Natural Environment'.

For persons who feel that they should continue to use single-use plastic bags to dispose of their waste, Reid had some suggestions.

"We're asking persons to use smaller bins indoors. Put one in the kitchen, one in the bathroom, and you can empty these smaller bins into your bigger bin on the outside. We're also asking persons, in terms of reducing the amount of waste that is disposed of, that they separate the waste before they put it out," she said.

"Separate your plastic bottles, your kitchen waste, and your garden cuttings. Use the kitchen waste and garden cuttings to make a compost heap," Reid added.

MIND's Policy Forum was held in support of National Goal 4, 'Jamaica as a Healthy Natural Environment', and in particular, National Outcome 13, which focuses on sustainable management and use of environmental and natural resources.

The forum was also geared at promoting the National Policy on Environmental Management Systems, which was developed in keeping with the Government's commitment to improve environmental performance and the development of a green economy.