Plastic pollution and education

THE EDITOR: The recent flooding on September 22 brought to light the ever-present problem of plastic pollution – not just plastic, but the dumping of all kinds of rubbish in our waterways. Also of interest were the letters to the editor pointing out that our largely uneducated citizens are to blame for this massive dumping problem.

While the EMA has placed many of its iCARE bins around the country, I don’t think many people know what they are for and that you can recycle PET plastic bottles, Tetra Pak drink cartons, aluminium cans and glass bottles all in the same bin. More education is needed.

What is baffling to me is why did the Government stop funding the Plastikeep recovery programme? Plastikeep was funded by the Green Fund and its main focus was education, ie, teaching adults and children about recycling, why we should recycle and the effects of indiscriminate dumping on the environment. The iCARE programme, funded by the Green Fund, would benefit from the work Plastikeep did.

iCare received its first funding from the Green Fund in 2015 (according to its Facebook page). At the end of 2015, without warning or any indication of the Government’s intent to terminate its work, Plastikeep stopped receiving government funding. Coincidence?

I was an avid supporter of Plastikeep and was constantly in touch with the office and I learned that its staff has not received 2016 salaries nor have Plastikeep vendors been paid for legitimate work done on behalf of the Government.

I am embarrassed, ashamed and disappointed in the Green Fund and the handling of this project. A project that saw itself educating students in 47 schools, had over 90 bins in the northwest of Trinidad alone, collected data on recycling habits and basically made collecting trash, fun.

There are so many unanswered questions as to what happened to Plastikeep and why its funding ended. I hope a reporter takes up the challenge to get answers from both sides. Plastikeep was succeeding in the recycling efforts and its good work was blocked/cut short. Very sad for the future of recycling in TT.

FRANCINE MOHAMMED

via e-mail