CLARENDON, Jamaica — A large-scale clean-up and public sensitisation exercise was carried out in May Pen on Wednesday as part of activities to mark Earth Day.

According to the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), staff members, along with SPM Waste Management Limited, residents, students and community leaders, joined forces for the initiative aimed at promoting environmental responsibility and proper waste disposal practices.

Teams were engaged in clearing debris, removing bulky waste and speaking with residents about the importance of keeping their surroundings clean. The exercise was part of a broader effort to build public awareness and encourage behavioural change, particularly in communities affected by improper waste disposal.

Executive Director of the NSWMA, Audley Gordon, emphasised the importance of community involvement in maintaining cleaner spaces.

“We need the partnership at the community level and at the homes, so we have to see where community begin to take ownership of their space and start calling out bad behaviour… We are also saving people’s lives because once we behave better in terms of how we treat with the planet, we won’t throw the old phones and laptops out in the open like that where seepage of chemicals will take place and affect the crops that we eat,” he was quoted as saying in a release on Saturday.

Regional Operations Manager at SPM Waste Management, Sheldon Smith, said the Earth Day activities were meant to reinforce that environmental protection is a shared responsibility.

“It’s a symbiotic relationship, you do your part, we do our part and many of us are failing to bag our waste at source, containerise at source and place it at your gates so our workmen can come in easily and collect it,” he noted.

Mayor of May Pen, Councillor Joel Williams, along with Members of Parliament, also supported the initiative, urging residents to take greater responsibility for their communities.

Member of Parliament for Central Clarendon and Minister of State in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, Delroy Williams, encouraged proper waste disposal practices.

“Ensure that you bag your waste, ensure that you dispose of your waste properly, use the waste disposal bags and storage containers, do not dispose at illegal dumpsites, don’t dispose waste in drains and gullies. If you have a problem, call the NSWMA,” he said.

The initiative forms part of ongoing efforts to address Jamaica’s waste management challenges and underscores the role of communities in driving lasting environmental change.