JIS Members Take Part in ICCD Activity

Members of the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) were among thousands of Jamaicans who turned out to participate in International Coastal Clean-up Day (ICCD) activities on Saturday, September 16.

The 30-member-strong JIS team collected several bags of recyclable and non-recyclable garbage, totalling 105.9kg, from the Shipwreck Beach along the Palisadoes Strip in Kingston.

Manager of the JIS’s Public Relations and Marketing Department, Andrea Braham, said that the team was happy to participate in the global initiative.

“Improper disposal of solid waste is a serious problem that has and continues to negatively impact countries around the world. We are happy that we were able to partner with the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) to remove debris from the Palisadoes Shipwreck to help protect our natural environment,” she said.

Ms. Braham commended the NEPA team on their leadership of the annual clean-up exercise and encouraged volunteers to continue to play their part to reduce improper garbage and waste disposal in Jamaica.

Other participants at the Shipwreck site included individuals and groups from the local United Nations offices, the

Under-20 National Football Women, and the National Volleyball teams.

Support was also provided by the National Baking Company Foundation and the Progressive Grocers of Jamaica Limited.

International Coastal Clean-up Day takes place on the third Saturday in September every year and is the largest one-day volunteer event in the world.

Jamaica first joined the ICC movement in the mid-1990s, with clean-ups taking place in only a few locations across the island.

However, since 2008 the event has grown significantly, attracting more than 9,000 volunteers annually to clean up over 140 beaches islandwide.