Hundreds of Volunteers Remove 611 Bags of Garbage on ICC Day

A total of 881 volunteers joined the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) to remove 611 bags of debris from four sites on September 16, International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day 2023.

Of the total number of volunteers, 531 visited the largest site at Shipwreck Beach along the Palisadoes Strip, collecting 440 bags of recyclable and non-recyclable material, weighing approximately 4,299 pounds.

The collected garbage was then separated into two categories, recyclable and nonrecyclable, and collected by Recycling Partners of Jamaica and the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), respectively.

In an interview with JIS News, Beaches Coordinator at NEPA, Jodiel Ebanks, said that ICC Day 2023 was a success.

“We had more than 20 groups volunteering across the four locations. I would consider it a success, in terms of the energy of the volunteers, which was quite noticeable. The teams and individuals that were there were very enthused about what they came to do,” Ms. Ebanks pointed out.

Speaking against the backdrop of increasing public education about keeping the environment clean, the Beaches Coordinator noted that there was also much success in this regard.

“We saw the change on the beach before and after the debris was removed… . I think it was a day to disseminate information and for persons to learn about solid waste, how it is that garbage should be properly disposed of and the effects of not properly disposing garbage,” she said.

Ms. Ebanks expressed gratitude to the sponsors and volunteers, noting that “we appreciated their assistance and the energy that they took with them on the day”.

The sponsors included the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), National Baking Company Foundation, Progressive Grocers of Jamaica Limited, PriceSmart and Massy Gas Products.

For those persons or groups who were unable to participate in this year’s clean-up activities due to limited spaces, NEPA has several other initiatives, including its Adopt-A-Beach Programme, for which they can sign up.

Interested persons may call the Agency at 876-754-7540 for further details.

Persons who have an interest in participating in ICC Day activities come 2024, may also notify the Agency.

“Typically, planning for ICC Day begins around July [each year], so that’s a good time to get in touch with the Agency or the Jamaica Environment Trust, so that you can learn more about International Coastal Clean-up Day and be a part of one of the activities that are happening across the island,” Ms. Ebanks indicated.