HANOVER, Jamaica — The Western Parks and Markets (WPM) Waste Management Limited, the regional arm of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), yesterday removed more than 80 bags of plastic bottles from the Orchard Bathing Beach and surrounding communities in Hanover.

The initiative was undertaken as the world marked Global Recycling Day, which is observed on March 18 each year. The theme of this year was #RecyclingHeroes.

WPM’s exercise was part of its active plastic bottle separation programme, launched on February 12, which is aimed at reducing the damaging impact on the environment while preventing the bottles from entering the Retirement Disposal site in St James.

The waste management company removed eight garbage bags of plastic bottles from the Orchard Bathing Beach during a cleaning of the area and separation of plastic bottles from solid waste.

After leaving the beach, team members went into the communities of Tamarind Hill, Ramble Hill and Meadows of Irwin where a total of 75 bags of plastic bottles, with a combined weight of 835 pounds, were collected.

The bottles were sent to Recycling Partners of Jamaica in St James.

Anthony Lewis