Reusable bottles to counter littering
Published:Monday | September 18, 2017 | 12:00 AMOkoye Henry
WESTERN BUREAU:
In a bid to change the statistics on the amount of garbage collected on the streets of the Second City, the Rotary Club of Montego Bay has donated reusable bottles and bags, among other items to the city.
The move has been described as a big step in the right direction by Natasha Parchment-Clarke, director of Youth Services for the club during the recent International Coastal Clean-up Day activities in Montego Bay, St James.
"I personally don't use Styrofoam or plastic bags ... . I carry a reusable bottle as much as possible. It is a habit we would love to see the youth embracing," Parchment-Clarke told The Gleaner. "So these giveaways (the reusable bottles) were perfect."
According to Parchment-Clarke, with Montego Bay gripped by fear and violence, it was encouraging to see the support of the volunteers, led by the Montego Bay Marine Park and the Kingston-based Jamaica Environment Trust, out at the various sites.
The Gleaner was told that some 1,005 persons volunteered in Montego Bay across 10 sites, collecting a combined total of 7,471 pounds of garbage.
"As usual, the number-one item found in the bushes, on the beach, in between rocks, and on the verges was plastic beverage bottles, a horrifying 9,875 count," Parchment-Clarke explained
"Next in numbers were the styrofoam lunch boxes and plates, at a staggering 4,796 count," continued Parchment-Clarke. "This is not including small pieces of foam under 2.5 inches, which is just the size to choke a land or sea animal, which numbered 2,755. Last on the most found lists were plastic bags, at an unacceptable 3,658."