Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda says our environment is as much who we are as a people and we cannot damage it if we seek the prosperity we all speak about.

Minister Samuda, who was speaking on August 27, 2024, at the launch of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation’s (MEGJC) EcoChampions Recycling Initiative, at the Ministry’s 16a Half Way Tree Road office, pointed to the issue of pollution, and specifically plastic pollution, as one of the challenges to the island’s sustainability.

“It is why this Ministry has been working on several initiatives to reduce pollution, to remove particular items from our waste stream and to work with our colleagues at the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development along with their agency, the NSWMA (National Solid Waste Management Authority) to collect the waste we generate”, he stated.

Delving into the country’s history of waste separation, the Minister noted that plastic separation and collection had moved from 7% a few years ago, following the inception of Recycling Partners of Jamaica in 2015, to 40% now being collected, which makes Jamaica a leader in the region, in plastic separation and collection.

However, he added that 40 percent is not good enough and the government is playing a role in ensuring that Jamaica attains the international benchmark of 70% including the separation of waste in Government entities.

“What you’re seeing today is the beginning of a pilot project to separate waste in the Ministry that is charged with Jamaica’s sustainable development.  What we’re saying, in this case, is that we’re not going to wait for the situation to get worse, we are targeting that 70 per cent”, he stated.

Minister Samuda added that the separation of waste is one step in a large suite of measures that the government is taking to address the issue of pollution including the removal of harmful items from the waste stream such as microplastics in personal care products and plastic lunch boxes and recycling.

“We’re going to recycle what we can, at a rate that makes us the envy first, of the region, and then the rest of the world because that is a part of our overall waste management strategy”, the Minister explained.

However, he added that there needs to be an increase in public education on recycling adding that the efforts to fight plastic pollution will be in vain if EcoChampions do not dominate our society.

“We need to tell people the options and remind them that they can carry a reusable water bottle, that they can pack their lunch at home and carry their utensils.  It’s not beyond us as Jamaicans to solve this problem”, the Minister noted.

The MEGJC EcoChampions Recycling Initiative is a pivotal component of the Plastic-Free Jamaica campaign, designed to reinforce Jamaica’s commitment to environmental sustainability. This initiative coincides with the fourth phase of the Jamaican Government’s ban on single-use plastics. The Plastic-Free Jamaica campaign, and its summer segment called Plastic-Free Summer, aim to raise awareness and promote sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics.

During the event, the Ministry showcased the documentary “Broken Blue” which highlights the effects of plastic pollution on Jamaica’s coastline and marine life.