St James, Montego Bay — Howard Cooke Primary, the reigning champion of the LASCO Releaf Environmental Awareness Programme (REAP), had the honour last Friday to host the fifth anniversary launch of the programme, where partners LASCO and Ideal Factory announced an expansion of the programme into high schools and churches across the island.

For the past four years LASCO REAP has worked to build environmental awareness and encourage habits of environmental preservation among primary and prep school students. It encourages tree planting, recycling, energy conservation, school gardening, and well-kept school and community environments. Under the programme, which has grown from 50 schools in the first year to over 250 as of last year, some 12,500 trees have been planted across the island, over 150 gardens have been started and improved upon, and 1.2 million plastic bottles have been collected and sent for recycling.

Under the expansion, 20 high schools have been invited to participate in the LASCO REAP National Schools Competition 2016-2017. Each school is tasked with starting an ecological initiative at the school, and recruiting and monitoring a minimum of three non-REAP primary/prep schools. They stand a chance of winning either $100,000; $50,000; or one of three consolation prizes of $25,000.

The LASCO REAP National Church Competition 2016-2017, meanwhile, is open to 20 local churches. Each participating church will be assessed based on recycling, tree planting, gardening, recruiting of primary/prep/all-age schools, and reporting. Prizes are: $100,000 for first place, $50,000 for second place, or one of three consolation prizes of $25,000.

Stephen Newland, CEO of the LASCO REAP initiative, expressed true delight over the growth and scope of the project and anticipates a positive year ahead.

“The idea of expanding the programme was there from the start. But with all things you’ve got to crawl, then walk, then run. And I’m excited to walk down this path with the aid of Chairman, the Hon Lascelles Chin,” declared Newland. “To date, the LASCO REAP prep and primary programme alone has planted 12,500 trees across the island and collected 1.2 million plastic bottles. I’m excited to see what our numbers will be like with the addition of high schools and churches to the programme.”

Marketing Manager at LASCO Distributors Ltd Kelia-Gaye Dunbar expressed her confidence in the new direction of REAP.

“Incorporating high schools into the programme was a natural transition as that’s where graduates from our current programme move on to. With the support of more schools and the church community, our message and initiatives towards environmental awareness and preservation will grow deeper roots and ‘REAP’ greater results,” she said.

LASCO Affiliated Companies has committed over $30 million to REAP since it began. For the 2016-17 programme, themed ‘Together we grow’, the affiliate sponsors include Fly Jamaica, RJR Communications Group, Forestry Department, Spartan Health Club, Recycling Partners of Jamaica, the 4-H Club of Portland, the US Peace Corps, Lithographic Printers, and Sutherland Global Services.