NSWMA Deepens Church Partnership to Strengthen Community Solid Waste Practices

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is deepening its collaboration with churches across Jamaica, positioning the faith community as a key ally in the fight against poor garbage management.

Executive Director, Audley Gordon, notes the support and influence of the church is central to achieving lasting behavioural change in how Jamaicans handle solid waste.

He adds that the NSWMA, “has no option but to work with a broad network of people, like the church, in Jamaica.”

The Executive Director was speaking during the Community Church Clean-Up and Restoration Initiative, held at the Middle Quarters New Testament Church of God in St. Elizabeth on April 17.

Mr. Gordon emphasised that the Church’s reach and credibility make it an indispensable partner, adding that the transformation of national waste-management habits cannot be achieved by the Authority alone.

He highlighted the Church’s vast membership and eloquent speakers as powerful channels for spreading messages about proper garbage management into homes and communities islandwide.

“We want a better, even better partnership with the Church, because we have a lot of things that we want to talk about; and the best network to assist us in that is the Church,” Mr. Gordon stated.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director lamented the prevailing attitude toward waste disposal, pointing to the frequency with which items such as food boxes and plastic bottles are casually discarded onto roadways.

He stated that this is a deeply ingrained cultural problem that demands moral and spiritual responses alongside regulatory measures.

Mr. Gordon referenced the well-known adage that “cleanliness is next to godliness,” urging congregations and church leaders to help curb what he described as a culture of neglect that has overtaken the nation.