Jamaica tourism conducts recycling programs in schools

Published on : Saturday, December 16, 2017

The Jamaica Ministry of Tourism’s commitment to sustainable destination management has brought in 16 primary and high schools in Hanover and Westmoreland and collected 360,000 plastic bottles in less than six months in their communities.

 
The bottles, weighing 14,686 pounds, were collected as part of the Negril Recycling Competition sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism in partnership with the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), Recycling Partners of Jamaica (RPJ) and the Negril Area Environmental Protection Trust (NEPT).

 
Mount Airy Primary and Infant School became the overall winner and also bagged the top prize in the primary school category, having collected 30,000 bottles. As a reward, the school received a projector, a 50-inch flat screen television, an all-in-one printer, scanner and copier, and a plaque presented by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Mrs. Jennifer Griffith. Second place among primary schools was bagged by Negril All Age while Revival All-Age took the third spot.

 
Among the high school participants in the competition, Godfrey Stewart High got the first place with a collection of 28,125 plastic bottles and was rewarded with three desktop computers and an all-in-one printer, scanner and copier. Rhodes Hall High School collected 20,425 bottles to claim second place.

 
This competition brought out the students drive and passion in a positive way and stressed the importance of environmental stewardship and what could be done to contribute positively to tourism as the economy’s support.

 
The recycling initiative is one of the activities implemented by the Ministry of Tourism and its agencies to mark 2017 as the Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the UNWTO.

Tags: Jamaica Tourism