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Environmental Champion Urges Jamaicans to Practise Proper Waste Disposal

By: , May 1, 2024
Environmental Champion Urges Jamaicans to Practise Proper Waste Disposal
Photo: Adrian Walker
Deckhand, Clean Harbours Jamaica, Jonell Banton, converses with Chief Executive Officer, GraceKennedy Foundation, Caroline Mahfood, during the recent media launch for The Great Mangrove Cleanup. The launch was held at GraceKennedy Limited on Harbour Street, downtown Kingston.

The Full Story

Jonell Banton, a young Jamaican who has experienced first-hand the impact of irresponsible garbage disposal, is urging citizens to dispose of their waste properly.

Mr. Banton, a resident of Rae Town in Kingston for more than eight years, is employed as a deckhand at Clean Harbours Jamaica (CHJ).

In February 2022, The Ocean Cleanup, in collaboration with GraceKennedy Foundation and CHJ, implemented a pilot project to prevent solid waste from flowing into the Kingston Harbour.

Waste-trapping technology has been installed at the mouths of seven gullies that feed into the Harbour and debris caught is removed by The Ocean Cleanup’s small barge, known as the ‘Interceptor Tender’, and transported to an offloading site for sorting and disposal.

The first interceptor barrier was deployed at Rae Town Gully, adjacent to the Rae Town Fishing Village.

An aerial view of the Interceptor Barrier in Barnes Gully, Kingston. The interceptor prevents plastic bottles and other trash from flowing into the Kingston Harbour.

Mr. Banton tells JIS News that he started out as a sorter and at the end of 2022, he was promoted to deckhand.

“Now I ensure that the boat is clean and working properly, and I help with harvesting the waste,” he further informs.

Mr. Banton shares that his journey, thus far, with the Kingston Harbour Cleanup Project has been a wonderful learning experience.

“Throughout our work, I have seen the reality of what people do to the environment. When I am out on the boat helping to harvest the waste at the gully, I see way too much plastic and things that should not be in the gully. Things such as mattresses, sheets, pillows, beds, baby prams… you name it… everything that you can think of. I have a front-seat view of the negative impact of pollution,” he points out.

Mr. Banton says the project has been life-changing for his community.

“I have observed how much cleaner the water looks now and how much less plastic I see on the shoreline. This makes me very happy because I love to fish and I also see more fish coming to the Harbour as well,” he indicates.

Mr. Banton tells JIS News that the restoration of Kingston Harbour will not only improve the quality of life for the residents in his community but also others upstream.

“The most important thing you can do is to dispose of your garbage properly, not in the gullies. Together we have a chance to make a big difference in the health of our environment and leave a legacy for generations,” he encourages.

Meanwhile, CHJ Managing Director, Michael McCarthy, shares that the entity’s core function is the dynamic and systematic cleanup and restoration of natural harbours, gullies and streams.

Managing Director, Clean Harbours Jamaica, Michael McCarthy, addresses the recent media launch for The Great Mangrove Cleanup, at GraceKennedy Limited on Harbour Street, downtown Kingston.

He notes that CHJ has made significant strides towards its goal of reducing plastic pollution in the Harbour.

“At the end of 2023, the project successfully deployed waste-trapping barriers at the mouth of seven of the most polluting gullies that feed within the Kingston Harbour, thereby completing phase one of our joint-venture project,” Mr. McCarthy informs.

He adds that in just over two years of operations, the project has removed more than two million kilogrammes of waste from the Harbour.

“Notwithstanding this milestone, there is still much work to be done. The learnings and data we have gathered, so far, will allow us to optimise our operations and expand our reach across the Harbour to the Hunt’s Bay area. This will be our focus for the remainder of 2024 as we aim to prevent an estimated 1,000 tonnes of plastic and waste flowing yearly into the Kingston Harbour,” Mr. McCarthy advises.