Supermarkets Encouraged To Engage In Recycling Projects

The Ministry of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change is calling for more supermarkets to engage in eco-friendly practices, such as recycling.

“I am encouraging supermarkets, grocery stores and retailers to establish facilities to ramp up recycling at the national level. Just as recently as December, I participated in the opening of a plastic bottle collection facility at Lee’s Food Fair,” Minister of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., told JIS News.

He pointed out that plastics comprise a significant proportion of the waste generated across the island, adding that the participation of grocery stores in the eco-friendly initiative is an effective way of controlling this.

“In Jamaica, single-use plastics are often improperly disposed of, contributing to flooding, and pose a serious risk to the health of our marine ecosystems, biodiversity and, potentially, human health,” the Minister said.

He indicated that the ‘Supermarket Plastic Recycling Scheme’ is one of the co-led Government initiatives designed to minimise plastic waste.

“The Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS) for PET bottles is another initiative, which is being implemented through Recycling Partners of Jamaica (RPJ). Purchasers and consumers of products in PET bottles (for example water, juices, and sodas) will pay a surcharge or deposit, which will be refunded to them when they return the product or its container to an approved centre for recycling and proper disposal,” the Minister noted.

He said that collaboration with private-sector partners, such as grocery stores and recycling companies, will lead to advancing a strategic and integrated approach towards minimising plastics.

Meanwhile, the Minister said the Government is appealing for industry players to seek to create and use eco-friendly products that minimise plastic packaging.

“The Government is currently exploring the measures that may be applied to the management of the polyethylene and polypropylene containers that have replaced the expanded polystyrene foam containers on the domestic market. We acknowledge this as an issue of concern,” he explained.

The Minister shared that the measures being considered by the Government include the establishment of a national recycling programme targeting these products, provision of incentives to the private sector to make environmentally friendly alternatives more attractive, as well as expanding the existing ban to cover these products.