Dear Editor,

It is apparent that the country is faced with a waste problem. During times of heavy rains there can be seen a lot of plastic garbage that end up blocking drains and causing flooding.

There was once a time when soda was sold in glass bottles and box lunches were sold in cardboard boxes, for example. Those packaging methods have been almost entirely discontinued and have been replaced by plastic and styrofoam, respectively. I think that such a move was unwise.

In order to combat the pile-up of garbage that is commonly seen on the streets and in gullies — particularly non- biodegradable plastic and styrofoam — we need to, as a nation, develop the mentality of recycling, reusing, and also rethinking how we package products. The Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association and the Bureau of Standards Jamaica should form a partnership to devise a way to package products in environmentally safe containers.

On the part of recycling, I think that there should be a centre for recycling and waste management, whose functions should include research into which waste materials can be recycled and their likely economic uses, and also which waste materials have no recyclable benefits and how to properly dispose of them. Additionally, there should be mitigation practices to restore the beauty and the cleanliness of the environment and to minimise future waste. This initiative can be undertaken by the Ministry of Science, Energy & Technology, the National Solid Waste Management Authority, and the Jamaica Environment Trust.

The Writer

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