Letter of the Day | Recycling alone won’t solve Jamaica’s plastics crisis

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Matthew Samuda, minister with responsibility for the environment, recently highlighted Jamaica’s achievement of a 40 per cent collection rate for plastic bottles, positioning us as a leader in the Caribbean. He further expressed optimism that Jamaica will become the first nation in the Latin American and Caribbean region to achieve a 70 per cent plastics collection rate. While this milestone deserves recognition, recycling will not solve the global plastic crisis.

Jamaica only collects two types of plastics (Types 1 and 2) to export for recycling, leaving a significant portion of potentially recyclable plastics to accumulate in disposal sites or to pollute our land and waterways. Globally, however, only about nine per cent of all plastics are recycled. These numbers reveal the stark truth that recycling is insufficient as the primary strategy for addressing plastic pollution.

The root of the problem is the manufacture and consumption of plastics. New policies are needed to reduce plastic production and prioritise reusable and biodegradable alternatives. Jamaica’s fourth phase of the plastic ban, enacted on July 1, is a step in the right direction, but it falls short of addressing the scale of the crisis. This phase prohibits the importation, distribution, sale, or use of single-use plastic food containers, made wholly or in part of polyethylene, polypropylene, or polylactic acid (PLA), excluding transparent plastic lids until eco-friendly alternatives become available.

The ban will expand further on July 1, 2025 to include personal care and cosmetic products containing intentionally added plastic microbeads or microplastics. While these incremental steps mark progress, they must be accompanied by broader efforts to address the crisis at its source. We need much more comprehensive measures, including better waste management infrastructure, stronger laws and regulations, along with effective enforcement.

While recycling can raise awareness about waste management, public education should focus on reducing plastic use. Plastics break down into microplastics, contaminating soil, water and the food chain, taking hundreds to thousands of years to decompose completely. Recent studies have even detected microplastics in various parts of the human body, including the lungs, blood stream, brain, and even breast milk. Real change therefore lies in reducing plastic use at source, to safeguard our environment for future generations.

JAMAICA ENVIRONMENT

TRUST