HURRICANE Melissa left western Jamaica grappling with not only damaged livelihoods, but the debris of modern living and a more persistent problem — plastic waste.

Yet, as the recent experience of Recycling Partners of Jamaica (RPJ) has shown, even this challenge can be transformed into opportunity when vision, organisation, and community effort align.

Mr Gairy Taylor, RPJ’s general manager, shared eye-popping statistics with this newspaper during last week’s Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange at which he appeared as a sustainability partner for this year’s Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run.

Mr Taylor told us that debris left in Melissa’s aftermath, particularly plastic bottles, has become a lifeline for many, as residents recycle the waste to supplement their income.

“Farmers,” he said, “are using the proceeds from the bottles to fix their irrigation systems. If they own a little shop, they are using it to stock the shop, so we find a lot of that has been happening…We have farmers who use it to buy tanks, irrigation systems, pesticides, fertilisers. They are using the money they get from the bottles to help in what they do on a daily basis.”

He also told us that last December the company, which has a “very active” presence in communities, collected 1.61 million pounds of plastic — its second-highest monthly total ever. In fact, from April to December alone, he said, more than 14 million pounds of plastic were removed from the environment, with the vast majority redirected into productive reuse, from clothing to footwear and other consumer goods.

This reality highlights a core truth: Recycling works, not only as an environmental safeguard but also as a social and economic buffer in times of crisis.

At the same time, these figures should give us pause. Such volumes are a stark reminder of how deeply plastic has embedded itself in our daily lives. The danger of plastics — particularly single-use items — is well documented: They pollute waterways, threaten marine life, leach harmful chemicals, and persist in the environment for generations.

Recycling, while essential, is not a cure-all. It is a critical mitigation strategy, but it must be paired with reduction. This is why the Government’s ban on single-use plastics deserves continued and unequivocal support. Limiting items such as plastic bags, straws, and Styrofoam containers is not an inconvenience; it is a necessary step towards safeguarding public health, tourism, fisheries, and the wider environment.

While RPJ’s success shows what is possible downstream, true sustainability begins upstream, with smarter production, responsible consumption, and strong policy enforcement.

In all this, though, RPJ deserves commendation for the human-centred approach it has taken. From payouts growing from $5 million to nearly $30 million per month, to a collector base that has expanded from 1,500 to more than 6,000 individuals, the organisation has demonstrated that environmental stewardship and social responsibility can go hand in hand. Its engagement with schools — 630 registered in its programme, Mr Taylor revealed — further cements recycling as a cultural practice, not just a commercial activity.

Plastic waste should never be a disaster dividend, yet its recovery and reuse have shown us a path forward. By supporting recycling initiatives, reducing our dependence on plastics, and standing firm behind the single-use plastic ban, Jamaica has the opportunity to convert an environmental burden into a national advantage.