Over 220 volunteers collected 2,090 pounds of garbage during the International Coastal Cleanup at the Foreshore, Audrey Jeffers Highway, and Port-of-Spain over the last weekend.
Volunteers represented numerous organisations including the St Augustine Girls High School (SAGHS) Alumnae Association, Basel Convention Regional Centre – Caribbean, Rotaract Piarco (UWI), Run Trinbago, Zèle Events, Ultra Concepts, Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN), Lions Club of Port-of-Spain North and RHAND Credit Union.
“We would like to thank all our partners and 200 plus volunteers who heeded the call to join the global community for International Coastal Cleanup 2019,” Minister of Planning and Development, Camille Robinson-Regis said.
The minister added that unfortunately citizens continue to exhibit improper waste disposal habits and despite several programmes designed to inculcate new habits, bad habits die hard and she urged citizens through the theme, ‘Environmental Pride is National Pride’, to take personal responsibility for their homes, schools, offices and islands
The minister reiterated that the recently adopted Beverage Containers Deposit Refund Policy proposes to establish a deposit refund system for recyclable waste, with beverage containers being under the first remit.
This legislation is scheduled to be laid in the Parliament by December 2019.
Additionally, Cabinet’s policy to ban the importation of non-biodegradable expanded polystyrene (EPS) or Styrofoam food and beverage containers, will come into full effect in January 2020, and manufacture of same in Trinidad and Tobago will also be phased out thereafter.
The foreshore clean up was coordinated by the Ministry of Planning and Development, through the Environmental Policy and Planning Division in collaboration with the Delegation of the European Union to Trinidad and Tobago.