St Ann is littered with garbage

THE EDITOR, Madam:

It pains me to say this, but St Ann – home to the renowned tourist destination of Ocho Rios and one of Jamaica’s entertainment hotspots – is dirty.

From the Trelawny border to the edge of St Mary, one can see garbage is everywhere. Along the roadside, such as the St Ann leg of the North Coast Highway. At the centre of the St Ann’s Bay roundabout. By the newly expanded Drax Hall commercial area. At the entrances and along the exterior walls of gated communities. At public beaches like Fantasy Beach in Priory. On playing fields, like the one next to the Ocho Rios Jerk Centre – to name just a few places.

Garbage can even be seen at the entrances (sometimes on the opposite side of the road) and along the fences and walls of major hotels, restaurants, and attractions – this troubles me as a hospitality and tourism practitioner. From plastic bottles to food wrappers, the problem is widespread and worsening as more homes, businesses, and entertainment venues are added to the parish.

Whatever the authorities are doing to address this, the current approach is not working. As soon as one area is cleaned, it is quickly littered again.

So, what’s the solution?

First, local leaders must own the problem. To be effective, ownership is critical. Shifting blame will not clean the streets. Second, we must use the wealth of information available – from previous research to global case studies and innovative sanitation technologies – to develop and test practical solutions.

Two priorities should guide this effort:

1. Get users of the space to change their behaviour: Get residents and visitors to the parish to stop throwing their garbage on the streets and in other public spaces. Both punitive and non-punitive measures should be put in place. More time must be spent on the latter if long-term behaviour change is to be achieved, such as on community engagement, education, and making garbage disposal easy.

2. Rapid cleanup: Any garbage that ends up on the ground should be removed swiftly – ideally within 24 hours. One way humans learn is through observation. Therefore, people tend to litter where they already see litter. Quick removal disrupts this cycle and reinforces the desired social norm of cleanliness.

What we need is a comprehensive, inclusive, and science-based strategy to address the problem.

So, the next time you’re travelling through St Ann and you notice a line of shiny objects along the roadside, take a closer look. That sparkle? It’s garbage. What you are witnessing is St. Ann’s growing garbage crisis – one I hope our local leaders will address with urgency.

ANNMARIE NICELY