THE NATIONAL Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is seeking to promote civic pride across the country with the launch of its ‘Pass the Broom’ public education initiative, aimed at encouraging community involvement in keeping public spaces clean.
Addressing the media launch of the initiative on March 27, at the NSWMA’s offices in Kingston, executive director of the authority, Audley Gordon, said the year-long campaign will promote shared responsibility for maintaining cleaner streets, town centres, schools, communities, highways and business areas.
“We are hoping that this initiative will take root, and people will begin to be more responsible with their disposal habits,” he said.
Objectives of the campaign include increasing awareness and participation in waste reduction and proper disposal; fostering a culture of civic pride and environmental responsibility; and encouraging businesses, schools and communities to adopt and maintain designated areas.
“On our own. we cannot solve the garbage-collection problem. It has to be a collective [effort]. We can be the catalyst that provides the information, the best practices and show persons how to be more responsible in their waste-disposal practices,” Gordon emphasised.
Participating members of civil society (communities and schools) will be required to commit to keeping an area clean and then ‘Pass the Broom’ to another group to continue the effort.
The campaign includes clean-up events, plastic-separation competitions, composting competitions, a jingle competition, recycling challenges where participants will be asked to transform trash into useful items, and social media and school-engagement programmes.
It is expected that at the end of the campaign littering and illegal dumping will be reduced, waste management efficiency will be supported by reducing strain on the collection services, and community engagement in the effort will be strengthened.
Businesses, schools, and residents are being encouraged to join the movement by pledging to keep their designated areas clean.
The NSWMA will provide guidance, training, tools and resources to support participating groups.