Saturday January 16th saw the operationalization of the first of the six Collection Points piloting the incentivized collection of plastic waste in Saint Lucia through the RePLAST- OECS Pilot Plastic Recycling Project, implemented by Unite Caribbean.
The Gros Islet RePLAST Collection Point operated from the park adjoining the Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre from 9:00AM – 2:00 PM. Thereafter, a schedule for regular drop off of PET and HDPE Plastic Beverage Containers has been announced.
The Gros Islet RePLAST Collection Points (RCP) is one of three for the Northern Region. Their operations and scheduled collection days will be managed by the Gros Islet Constituency Council. The other two will be located at Monchy and Grande Riviere. The opening of the other two RCPs for that region will follow a period of fine-tuning of the Gros Islet RCP operations.
With the Gros Islet RCP activated, RePLAST Project Director Shanta King said:
“Saint Lucians can expect that all the Collection Points promised for their regions should be up and running “ideally” by the end of February 2021. “The reality of the times in which we live and work has been largely dictated by the impact of the COVID Pandemic,”
RePLAST Project Director added that strict protocols for the RCPs have been finalized with the Health Authorities to ensure the safety of patrons and volunteers alike.
About RePLAST-OECS Pilot Plastic Recycling Project
The RePLAST‒OECS Pilot Plastic Recycling Project launched in May 2019, is a two-year public-private initiative, being implemented by UNITE Caribbean and is aimed at setting-up an incentivised plastic waste collection and recycling scheme. The plastic collected will be exported to a recycling plant in the Caribbean promoting a circular economy model. The first pilot country is Saint Lucia with subsequent replication in the OECS countries.
To date, the RePLAST‒OECS Project has facilitated an experimental shipment working with local recyclers. This included two 40- foot containers of baled PET bottles of approximately 26,000 pounds (lbs). – This exported plastic waste would normally be disposed of and as a result, has increased the life of the Landfill.
About Unite Caribbean
UNITE Caribbean is a Caribbean cooperation and development consulting firm, supporting the social and economic development of Caribbean territories through regional technical cooperation. Unite Caribbean consults on behalf of governments and the private sector on projects of paramount importance to the Caribbean in a range of disciplines including Public Governance, Climate Change, Environment, Education, Sport, Economic Development, and Public health.