Earth Today | ‘Dive into ICC 2025’
Public urged to join the movement to end marine pollution
Published:Thursday | July 17, 2025 | 12:07 AM
AS ANOTHER International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day nears, the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) has opened its efforts to raise public awareness about marine pollution with a focus on plastics while urging Jamaicans to participate in the day’s observance.
“In Jamaica, ICC Day has become a movement, powered by thousands of volunteers, big-hearted sponsors, and communities who care deeply about our environment,” said Dr Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie, chief executive officer at JET.
Last year, some 5,802 volunteers from more than 100 groups and 168 clean-ups islandwide removed 69,010 pounds of waste from 272 miles of Jamaican coastline. Plastic waste, which is a clear and present danger to marine life and human health, comprised the majority of the waste collected.
In its 2023 report, Turning off the tap: How the world can end plastic pollution and create a circular economy, the UNEP identified a number of challenges with the plastic economy.
They include structural flaws that see many plastic products placed in markets without the capacity to collect and safely dispose of them; as well as weak waste management systems that lack the necessary infrastructure to keep pace with the rise in plastic consumption.
This is while collection remains “chronically underfunded” and formal collection coverage “remains patchy”.
It is against this background that JET has urged Jamaicans to support this year’s observance of ICC Day, set for Saturday, September 20, while championing the need to progress the gains from Jamaica’s own ban on single-use plastics.
“Since the plastic ban was introduced in 2019, we’ve seen a reduction in the amount of plastic collected during ICC clean-ups. This might be due in part to fewer volunteers in recent years, but it also likely reflects growing awareness, initiatives like the deposit refund scheme for plastic bottles, and the installation of garbage barriers in Kingston gullies under projects like The Ocean Cleanup,” noted the JET boss.
“These are encouraging signs that change is possible; and we would love to see a return to the massive volunteer turnout of 2019, when over 12,000 Jamaicans joined the effort across the island,” she added.
Also to be considered, Rodriguez-Moodie said, is the value added that comes from participation in the clean-ups.
“Clean-ups are just one part of the solution, but they’re a meaningful entry point. They inspire change, support public education, and give people a direct way to be part of the solution. We also need continued investment in waste reduction, recycling, and public awareness campaigns like Nuh Dutty Up Jamaica,” she explained.
Annually, ICC Day engages volunteers globally in the removal of trash from waterways and beaches. Since inception in 1986, the global effort has seen the reported participation of more than 18 million volunteers and the collection of more than 380 million pounds of trash.
JET, meanwhile, has been the national coordinator for ICC Day in Jamaica for 17 years. Individuals and/or entities on the island who would like to participate this year should register with the environmental non-governmental organisation to do so.
Individual volunteers or groups who want to join JET’s flagship clean-up at the Palisadoes Go-Kart Track will be able to sign up between August 18 and 29, while site coordinator registration for those interested in hosting their own ICC Day clean-ups is open until July 23, 2025.