The Caribbean Sea receives 92% of the waste originating on land (compared with 80% on average worldwide). Measurements of plastic concentration in marine areas have shown that nearly 200,000 pieces of plastic per km2 can be observed in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, affecting biodiversity, the climate, and human health.
The Delegation of the European Union to Barbados, via the French Development Agency, has granted funds to the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, a major regional player, for the implementation of an effective and sustainable plastic waste management project, to mitigate marine pollution.
The OECS Commission asked Seureca, in partnership with Unite Caribbean Ltd., to assess the efficiency of existing recycling initiatives and develop a financially autonomous plastic recycling model, adapted to the local context. The project benefits the following OECS countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Granada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint-Lucia, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines.
Our solution
Under this project, Seureca’s teams provided the following services:
- assessment of past and ongoing initiatives to collect and recycle plastic packaging waste in the OECS area;
- develop an economically viable model for the 'plastics' channel, adapted to the regional context and replicable with other types of recyclable waste;
- identify two regions among the eligible OECO countries, excluding Saint Lucia, to develop and implement a demonstration of the model;
- develop, implement, and monitor pilot initiatives in the two selected countries over a period of eighteen months, including the structuring of the collection, export, and recycling of plastic packaging waste;
- support for Saint-Lucia: implement and monitor an action plan for the development of plastic recycling activities on the island, particularly around institutional and financial components;
- in parallel, develop and implement prevention campaigns and awareness-raising actions among stakeholders.
GENERAL STUDIES
