Progress report for
Trash Free Waters - International
Achievement at a glance
Pilot in Jamaica: \r\nThe programme, which has been rolled out in some 40 locations in Whitehouse and Bluefields in Jamaica has collected over 4,500 lbs of plastic bottles and 2, 500 lbs of compost. More than 200 bins were distributed for the separation of plastic bottles, compost and regular solid waste. Some 2,400 students and over 1,045 adults in the area were impacted by awareness campaigns (annex I). During the first half of 2019, a community stakeholder consultation and a session on composting was held in February under the Whitehouse/Bluefields Solid Waste Reduction Project in Jamaica. In July, approximately 20 community members participated In Livelihoods training and learnt how to make jewellery as well as bins from plastic bottles. \r\n\r\n• Pilot in Panama:\r\nGiven the environmental problems in the Juan Diaz lower watershed in relation to the management of solid waste, training sessions on the management of litter, impacts on public and ecosystems health and options to improve the current waste management situation have been completed\r\nApproximately 450 students among 4 Schools, other members of the public have benefitted from educational campaigns focused on the proper management of solid waste and the 3Rs: Reduction, Reuse and Recycling aimed at responsible consumption and good environmental practices. The activities also involved a recycling fair and excursion by students. Persons were also trained to volunteer to help the local community understand the importance of proper waste management including how to best to do waste separation.\r\nA Best Practices Document was created including a public awareness toolkit and recommendations based on experiences of the project (institutional/policy/legislative/regulatory).\r\nAdvisory and support for both project locations: Through the partnership, meetings were held with the governments and civil society organizations to facilitate policy making and strategy development toward sound integrated waste management to prevent trash in waterwaysChallenges faced in implementation
Challenges were encountered with the outsourcing of public awareness and education activities and increased cost of shipping, clearing and transporting bins. Nevertheless, the project was able to deliver on recycling activities, surveying, composting activities on schedule.\r\n\r\nIn the assessment of the amount of trash on land, surveys were done which were unable to fully reflect the desired attitudinal and behavioural changes. Additionally, the underwater surveys were difficult to gauge given waste may not necessarily be from the community, however, the insight gained from these waste surveys had more to do with the types of waste found.Beneficiaries
Outreach efforts impacted approximately 2,400 students and over 1,045 adults in the area.
Actions
• Under the Trash Free Waters Initiative, Panama and Jamaica have successfully implemented community pilot projects centred on solid waste management practices to prevent land-based trash from entering watersheds, coastal waters, and the marine environment across the region.<br>
<br>• The programme in Jamaica included recycling and compost collection, social surveys, bin distribution, pilot projects to enhance waste prevention and improve waste management, a series of land, underwater and beach surveys, public education campaigns and an Upcycling Workshop.
<br>• The programme in Panama was centred around the Juan Diaz coastal community and involved public education campaigns for students at several schools, general public at commercial institutions as well as volunteers to help the local community understand the importance of proper waste management including how to best to do waste separation.