Earth Today | NEPA, Lee’s Food Fair bring recycling project to the public

RESIDENTS OF Kingston and St Andrew now have an additional option for the sustainable disposal of their plastic waste, with the establishment of a new drop-off point for plastics at Lee’s Food Fair supermarket on Red Hills Road.

The eight-week pilot, launched on October 1, is an initiative of the National Environment and Planning Agency’s (NEPA’s) Plastic Waste Minimisation Project.

The project is financed by the Government of Jamaica and the Japanese government through the UN Environment’s International Environmental Technology Centre and is focused on strengthening the island’s capacity to implement integrated waste-management activities and reduce and manage plastic marine litter.

In addition to Lee’s Food Fair, Recycling Partners of Jamaica and Magna Rewards have partnered with the state-run environmental agency for the implementation of the project.

To date 1,211 pounds of plastic have been collected at the location.

Anthony McKenzie, director of environmental management and conservation at NEPA, says the Plastic Recycling Eco-Rewards pilot forms part of NEPA’s mandate to educate the public about environmental matters and influence positive behavioural change.

“We are very pleased about this pilot programme which provides shoppers with another sustainable option for disposing their plastics,” McKenzie said.

He added that currently, the collection centre only facilitates the drop-off of polyethylene (PET/PETE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastics. Both plastics are clearly identifiable by the recycling symbol circling the numbers 1 and 2, respectively, usually at the bottom of the container.

Lee’s Food Fair has been making significant strides with establishing their environmental stewardship programme under NEPA’s Green Business Jamaica pilot initiative and have expressed that this partnership is an extension of their efforts to go green.

The Lee’s Food Fair team also reported that the feedback from the shoppers has been extremely positive, with the Plastic Action drop-off point on the premises helping to increase customer convenience.

Meanwhile, as part of the programme, individuals will be issued with a ‘goods received note’ from RPJ for each deposit. The RPJ is managing the collection of plastics at the site during the pilot.

“While we may not be at the point where domestic collection can be facilitated, we believe that building a network of collection centres and drop-off points across the country is an important first step in creating a plastic recycling culture in Jamaica,” said Nalini Sooklal, general manager for Recycling Partners of Jamaica, which collects a significant amount of plastic at its numerous locations across Kingston and St Andrew.

Recycling Partners of Jamaica has 180 sites, including schools islandwide, that facilitate the collection of HDPE and PET plastics.

In addition to the moral benefit of contributing to the protection of the environment, persons who drop off 10 pounds or more of plastics at the Lees Food Fair location are rewarded with 250 Eco points valued at $500.

This financial incentive has been made possible, courtesy of Magna Rewards, who stepped up to the plastic challenge to provide funding for the programme. This added monetary reward is being offered during the pilot phase, which ends on November 30.