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Western Parks and Markets in Jamaica to undertake plastic bottle recycling project

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MONTEGO BAY, Jan 11 (JIS) – Western Parks and Market (WPM) Waste Management Limited will be undertaking a plastic bottle recycling project in two communities in St. James.

The initiative, to be launched on Valentine’s Day, February 14, is intended to reduce the volume of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles deposited at disposal sites in the parish.

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It also forms part of efforts to heighten public awareness about the importance of preserving the environment.

Regional Operations Manager at WPM, Garnet Edmondson, told JIS News that the project will primarily entail scheduled collection and sorting of plastic bottles in the communities, which are to be identified.

“With that removal process, they [residents] will store and keep [the bottles] and we [WPM] will collect [those] every two weeks; that will be a part of the build up to our limited separation programme,” he explained.

The Operations Manager said the agency is also in the process of procuring a truck, “which will be solely dedicated to the collection of those plastic bottles”.

“So our celebration of Valentine’s Day is loving the environment [by] collecting these bottles, because they can damage the environment,” he added.

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Mr. Edmondson said WPM will also be embarking on a public education campaign in schools, aimed at fostering a more positive approach to the recycling initiative.  

“We will be going into schools to have participation by students. So we will teach them the importance of how they [should] handle their waste,” he informed.

Mr. Edmondson further advised of plans to erect waste separation bins across St. James to encourage recycling.

“Planning [for this] has already started. Further down in the year, we will be speaking with the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) [regarding] sponsorship of some waste bins,” he said.

Mr. Edmondson indicated that the design of the bins will be different from the regular containers, “because we want them [to have] three compartments where you have normal waste, organics and plastics”.

Meanwhile, the Operations Manager said WPM will be encouraging market vendors and other stakeholders across western Jamaica to resort to composting, which is a form of waste disposal where organic waste decomposes naturally under oxygen-rich conditions.

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Mr. Edmondson said the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) has been engaged to heighten farmers’ awareness about the benefits to be derived from composting, adding that “we will [also] be engaging our vendors and all other stakeholders [regarding] collecting organic material”.

“Our vegetable markets [in particular] will come into play, because it is not very viable to be putting organic material into the landfill; what it does, is enhance the greenhouse gases,” he informed.

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CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

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