DFL Importers, once the largest local supplier of polystyrene (Styrofoam) food containers, has retrofitted its operations is now offering a range of eco-friendly products. These items, which meet international standards, are made from materials such as cardboard, bagasse, minerals and paper. Sales Manager, Mark DeCasseres, tells JIS News that the change is in support of the Government’s ban on single...

Several private- and public-sector entities are embarking on the planting of trees to support the national reforestation programme, in order to protect the environment. The initiative, which was launched recently by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is aimed at planting three million timber and ornamental trees over the next three years, and expanding forested areas, including public and...

Trees are pivotal to sustaining life. They provide a home for many animals, stabilise the soil, store carbon dioxide and provide oxygen, which is vital for all life forms. It is against this background that the Forestry Department remains focused on maintaining trees in Jamaica’s forest reserves through, among other things, its ‘Adopt-a-Hillside’ Programme. The agency’s Manager for Strategic Corporate...

When 22-year-old student and entrepreneur, Angelica Dempster, heard in 2018 that the Government would impose a ban on single-use plastic bags, straws and polystyrene, she was excited. Excited, not only because Jamaica would be taking a major step to help with the preservation of the environment but also because she saw an opportunity to start her own business, ‘The Likkle...

Government Senator, Matthew Samuda, is reaffirming the Government’s commitment to pursuing initiatives that will encourage proper waste management practices. Among these, he said, is the Plastic Bottle Refund Deposit Scheme, which is slated to come on stream early in the 2019/20 fiscal year. It is intended to reduce littering and encourage recycling. “It is about 15 per cent of our...

The Negril area Environmental Protection Trust (NEPT) has been playing an integral role in shaping sustainable solutions for the conservation and protection of marine ecosystems in Western Jamaica. The 25-year-old organisation recently embarked on a major restoration project of Negril’s coral reefs by establishing a coral nursery in the Orange Bay Special Fishery Conservation Area in Hanover. The nursery currently...

The Government is embarking on a US$5.3-million project to build the country’s resilience to climate change. Dubbed the North Eastern Coastal Resilience Building project, it is one of three components under the Enhancing the Resilience of the Agricultural Sector and Coastal Areas to Protect Livelihoods and Improve Food Security Programme. It is being implemented by the Planning Institute of Jamaica...

The Government has kicked off its education campaign on the ban on single use plastics, with a team from the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) travelling across the island, and educating members of the public about the recently introduced measure aimed at saving the environment. A four-leg public education tour, targeting consumers as well as small and large-scale business...

As local retailers prepare to restock their inventories in compliance with the Government’s ban on single-use plastic bags and straws, and polystyrene (Styrofoam), several enterprises are exploring wide-ranging packaging alternatives. These include: cardboard boxes, paper bags, and reusable shopping/tote bags made from canvas, cotton, nylon and other durable material. On January 1, the Government imposed a ban on plastic bags...