Motorists urged to stop throwing garbage from vehicles

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is urging motorists and passengers to stop throwing litter from vehicles and exercise greater discipline in how they dispose of waste while travelling.

In an interview with JIS News, Community Relations Manager at NSWMA, Sharnon Williams, noted the environmental damage and risks to wildlife and public safety from littering.

She advised persons to keep a litter bag inside their vehicle to store waste until a proper disposal receptacle is available.

“From time to time, we may have a snack on the road. While we're travelling, we may be hungry, and we want to eat… sometimes there may not be a readily available bin, but we want to encourage Jamaicans [to] keep that waste until they find a bin,” she said.

Williams noted that improper disposal of garbage, of even small items, can have serious environmental consequences, including increased flooding, especially as the country approaches the hurricane season.

“When you litter, the waste will clog the drains and it will cause flooding,” she pointed out.

“It is very important for people to understand that one plastic bottle, one bag of banana chips, they all accumulate, and can be devastating to our lives and to our property,” she added.

She noted that children often replicate the behaviour of adults and is encouraging parents to model proper waste-disposal practices.

Williams said that every citizen has a role to play in protecting the environment, pointing out that simple actions such as holding on to waste and discouraging others from littering can help to keep communities safer and cleaner.

With April being observed as Earth Month, she highlighted the relevance of this year’s theme, ‘Our Power, Our Planet’, to the work of the NSWMA and the wider public.

“The power that we have is to organise clean-ups, practise proper solid waste disposal, start composting and separate plastic bottles. All of these actions contribute to cleaner, healthier communities,” she said.

- JIS News

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