RECYCLE Partners of Jamaica Limited (RPJL), the country’s designated national recycling entity, has launched an ambitious new objective to remove 200 tonnes of plastic from the Riverton landfill in the Corporate Area.

RPJL is also calling on the public to throw its support behind the very worthy and much-needed initiative, to ensure that it succeeds.

The company engages in the collection, recovery and disposition of recyclable products containing PET and HDPE materials. By doing so, the RPJL also creates employment on a sustainable annual basis and sources markets (local and international) for resale of plastic.

Riverton landfill has for many years posed a serious problem to those living and operating businesses in the Corporate Area due to frequent fires and the resulting smoke pollution.

The landfill holds significant amounts of plastic waste which, when burned, releases dangerous chemicals such as hydrochloric acid, sulfur dioxide, dioxins, furans and heavy metals into the environment.

These emissions are known to cause respiratory ailments, and stressing human immune systems, and are potentially carcinogenic.

Commenting on the RPJL’s latest initiative, Chief Financial Officer Winnie Cummings noted that the residents of Kingston and St Andrew have suffered for years as a result of fires at Riverton.

“It causes health problems, and has on many instances interrupted commercial activity. To say the least, the build-up of plastic at the landfill has to be addressed,” she stated.

“RPJL is proud to be embarking on this next step of our work. So far, with the help of our partners, we have been able to raise awareness, provide collection locations and begin to create a culture of recycling within Jamaica,” she pointed out.

She commented that the Riverton project will be a true test for the organisation, because of the very lofty goal that has been set for removing 200 tonnes of plastic.

“We are therefore calling on the private sector and the general public to give us their full support,” she added.

As of September 2018, RPJL has removed more than 5.6 million pounds of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles through its disposal sites, by facilitating daily collections, key partnerships with various stakeholders and a robust educational programme in schools.