Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), Dr. Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie, is calling for stronger action to address the country’s persistent plastic pollution problem.

She says despite annual clean-up efforts, plastic bottles remain the number one item collected across the island, signalling a deeper issue, that requires long-term solutions.

She cited data from the 2023 International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Global Report, which indicated that Jamaica recorded the third highest number of plastic bottles collected worldwide.

This, she said highlights, the scale of the problem.

Dr. Rodriguez-Moodie says while clean-ups are important, there needs to be greater investment in public education, and more sustainable alternatives to use of plastics, in a bid to reduce the volume of waste.