MORANT BAY, St Thomas — If future generations are to inherit a cleaner, greener Jamaica, the lesson must begin in the schoolyard. That was the central message from Dramaine Jones, regional operations manager at MPM Waste Management Limited, as he addressed the National Solid Waste Day Expo held last Friday at Rudolph Elder Park.
Jones told the audience that moulding responsible waste habits early is the fastest route to lasting change. “When youngsters understand why a bottle belongs in a recycling bin and not a gully, they take that rule home, enforce it on their parents, and it quickly becomes culture,” he said, predicting noticeable results within “a matter of a few school terms.”
The expo — staged under the slogan “Sweep Away Plastic: Reuse for Tomorrow” — transformed the park into a vibrant classroom. Primary and secondary students squared off in a flurry of contests: turning discarded materials into art installations, crafting catchy recycling jingles, and racing through environmental quiz puzzles. The friendly rivalry served a larger purpose: proving that waste is a resource in disguise.
Ahead of the festivities, the National Solid Waste Management Authority gave Morant Bay’s town centre a symbolic scrub-down, underscoring the event’s hands-on ethos.
Parliamentarian for St Thomas Eastern, Dr Michelle Charles, added a civic rallying cry. “Choosing Jamaica means choosing to recycle,” she told students, teachers, and residents alike. “Every plastic bottle we collect is one less clogging a drain or drifting to sea. Respect for the environment is respect for ourselves.”
MPM’s Jones signalled that the agency will expand its school-focused outreach this year, supplying lesson plans, recycling bins, and mentorship to classrooms island-wide. “The kids are ready,” he said. “Now it’s our job to equip them.”
With youthful enthusiasm on display and officials pledging continued support, St Thomas offered a glimpse of what a waste-wise Jamaica could look like — fueled by the energy of its youngest citizens and their commitment to keep the island pristine.
