The Organization Of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), with funding from the European Union, is said to have embarked on a new initiative, the Recycle OECS Project.
It’s designed to focus on the development and implementation of a recyclable plastic waste collection and treatment programme in Member States.
The overall objective is to define and develop a financially, self-sustainable plastic waste management model, from collection to recycling, that can be adapted to the local context of Member States in which it’s being implemented.
Plastic pollution is a major problem in the Eastern Caribbean, and this is according to a World Bank report, concerning “Marine Pollution in the Caribbean”,
Solid waste generated in the Wider Caribbean Region, on average contains 12% plastic.
Additionally, Caribbean data from beach and coastal clean-ups in 2017 indicate that plastic beverage bottles account for 21% of all garbage collected.
Tackling plastic pollution is critical for environmental sustainability, human health, and the economic viability of major sectors such as tourism, agriculture, and fishing; the mainstays of the economy of many OECS Member states.
The Recycle OECS Project is part of a broader regional initiative with the European Union, which seeks to build on work being done on waste management and the Blue Economy at the national and regional levels.
