Recycling Partners Stage Plastic Bottle Collection Drive in Brown’s Town
By: , July 24, 2021The Key Point:
Photo: Okoye
Resident of Brown’s Town in St. Ann, Andy Smythe, displays plastic bottles he collected for drop-off during a plastic bottle drive organized in the town by Recycling Partners of Jamaica, on Friday (July 23).
Photo: Okoye
Residents of Brown’s Town in St. Ann, Joylyn Shirley (left) and Judith Davis (right), interact with Vendor Services Administrator at Recycling Partners of Jamaica, Racquel Hoilett, after dropping off two bags of plastic bottles they picked up during a collection drive in the town on Friday (July 23).The Facts
- More than two truckloads of bottles were collected, as personnel highlighted the importance of separating plastics from other disposables and recycling these items in order to better preserve the environment.
- Other participating partner entities included the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), and Forestry Department.
The Full Story
Residents of Brown’s Town and its environs in St. Ann, on Friday (July 23), participated in a major plastic bottle collection drive organised by Recycling Partners of Jamaica in collaboration with several key stakeholder entities.
More than two truckloads of bottles were collected, as personnel highlighted the importance of separating plastics from other disposables and recycling these items in order to better preserve the environment.
Other participating partner entities included the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), and Forestry Department.
General Manager for Recycling Partners, Nalini Swoklam, told JIS News that the exercise aimed to heighten citizens’ awareness about the importance of proper disposal of plastics, emphasising that “this does not mean [placing them] in the rivers and gullies”.
Ms. Swoklam advised that St. Ann is among the parishes that Recycling Partners is targeting, adding that “we are actually doing some site identification to find [more] suitable areas to establish redemption centres and collection depots”.
“That is why the initiative began today to bring awareness to communities to have them understand what is coming, what we are doing and why it is important that we get most persons to actively understand why we need to recycle, how they can recycle and where they can recycle their plastics,” she further stated.
Meanwhile, Ms. Swoklam advised that the entity will be setting up a new depot in Bogue, St. James, to further serve that parish.
She encourages the public to get on board with the initiative, noting that there are also personal incentives to be derived from recycling plastics.
“We pay for the plastic and the current price is $50 per kilogramme. So there is money to be gained from separating your plastics and bringing it to us. We want to ensure that plastic is properly disposed of, that it is recycled and put back in use. So this is quite an exciting initiative,” Ms. Swoklam outlined.
She also lauded the NSWMA on the continued partnership, noting that plastic separation and recycling is a monumental task that requires collaboration and support.