Dear Editor,

I participated in the recent International Coastal Clean-up. My community collected a total of 26 bags of garbage; three jumbo garbage bags of styrofoam food containers, one bag with pieces of net and rope; 20 bags of plastic water/drink bottles; two bags with glass bottles.

We observed that the glass bottles we collected were non-returnable roots wine, malt, and a few rum and vodka bottles. We collected no bottles that could be returned. This goes to show that if we have a return/recycle policy on all glass bottles we would have collected fewer bottles, or none at all. The same holds true for plastic water and drink bottles.

Plastic bottles are choking up our country, littering our streets, clogging drains and estuaries, and our former and now present governments pay only lip service to the environment.

I believe that our Government should put money on plastic and put in place a national recycle policy through which every community would have places to dispose of plastic water/drink bottle, and citizens would collect on their deposit. We could start with $1 upon return. A dollar should then be added to the purchase price of these products. Citizens would not be so quick to discard their empty bottles anywhere, and this would create some employment.

I also believe that no foreign drinks should be sold in our stores/supermarkets unless bottles can be returned to some point of purchase.

I believe also that citizens should do their part in keeping their environs clean, but the Government should at least provide receptacles for garbage. Then we can vigorously enforce the litter law.

Finally, I would like to know what plans the people at National Environment and Planning Agency have to curtail plastic bottles choking our country. Frankly, I think this agency is a waste; ineffective, all talk, and no bite. It is in need of serious reform.

Authnel S Reid

reidaut@icloud.com