The Government has ordered that, effective immediately, all stocks of single-use plastic bags of dimensions 24” x 24” and thickness of 1.2 mils or less, and disposable plastic straws be embargoed by manufacturers, importers and distributors. Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, with responsibility for the Environment, Hon. Daryl Vaz, says this is to...

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is urging the public to help in the conservation of the American Crocodile species in Jamaica. The American Crocodile, the largest native reptile in the country, has come under increasing population threat from habitat loss and poaching. To help stem the problem, NEPA has embarked on a ‘Croc-Wise’ educational outreach targeting communities and...

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has implemented measures to address the expected increase in garbage in St. James during the Christmas period into the New Year. Public Cleansing Inspector at Western Parks and Markets (WPM) Waste Management Limited, a subsidiary of the NSWMA, Patrick Gilchrist, said that priority will be given to the business district of Montego Bay....

Government Senator, Matthew Samuda, says the impending ban on plastics is part of efforts by the Government to deal with waste management in a comprehensive way.  “The Government is taking a firm look at the country’s total waste management problem,” he told JIS News. “Whereas we are looking at the logistic needs to be able to collect all of our waste,...

Senior Director in the Environment and Risk Management Division of the Economic Growth and Job Creation Ministry, Gillian Guthrie, says several outcomes have emerged from Jamaica’s implementation of the Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI) Project. They include development of a National Auto Fuel Economy Database to examine vehicle fuel efficiency in Jamaica, an Air Quality Management Study and a GFEI...

The Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) is encouraging persons to adhere to the stipulations of the impending January 1, 2019, single-use plastic ban. Speaking at a recent JIS ‘Think Tank’, Chief Executive Officer of the CAC, Dolsie Allen, said the Commission plays a role in addressing environmental issues and is aware of the dangers of plastic on the environment. “We know...

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has launched a subnational project aimed at restoring the hydrological and other physical functions of the Negril Great Morass in Westmoreland. The launch was held at Couples Swept Away Resort in Negril, Westmoreland, on November 29. The project, entitled ‘Integrated Water, Land and Ecosystems (IWEco): Biodiversity Mainstreaming in Coastal Landscape in the Negril...