CARRERAS Limited is again undertaking its eco-friendly intitiative to recover thousands of plastic bottles and other containers for proper disposal and recycling at this year’s Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival.

The entertainment event, which is expected to attract the participation of thousands, is being staged at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium.

Carreras said that specially marked receptacles to separate recyclable plastics will be conveniently placed throughout the venue and urged patrons to use them. Environmental wardens will be on hand to aid with the recovery of plastics.

Christopher Brown, corporate and regulatory affairs manager at Carreras, said in a release to the media that the company’s association with this initiative annually is part of an effort to get citizens to learn how to dispose of waste material and protect the environment.

“He hopes in the long run that other corporate entities would also place emphasis on recycling plastic to reduce waste and push eco-friendly behaviour among their workforce,” the release noted. “In maintaining a presence at events, such as the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, Carreras is serving notice through its EcoFriend Initiative that the time has come to find better ways to dispose of our waste. Each year just over 40 million kilos of plastic bottles and containers enter Jamaica’s dumps.”

The company’s eco-friendly campaign was successfully launched in 2009 with support from Protect the Environment Trust. It places emphasis on the three Rs associated with environmental preservation and sustainability — reduce, reuse and recycle.

“There is a particular focus on recycling at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival and other such events for the potential usage of a high volume of plastic bottles and other recyclable materials,” the release said.

All the plastic collected during the Carreras EcoFriend Initiative is shredded by Protect the Environment Trust for export and recycling.