Tackling plastic pollution in Kingston, Jamaica: How cleanup enables systematic change

Ranked as one of the world’s largest natural harbor and recognized as a Ramsar site for wetland conservation, Kingston Harbour plays a vital role for Jamaica’s biodiversity and economy. A system of gullies in Kingston serves to manage stormwater and mitigate flooding by channeling it into Kingston Harbour. However, these gullies have become sources of solid waste contamination, primarily plastics, due to improper waste disposal upstream. During heavy rains, floods can cause gullies to become heavily polluted with plastic and other municipal debris. This waste causes serious harm to the local environment, and especially to mangroves. Here, we present how The Grace Kennedy Foundation, Clean Harbours of Jamaica, and The Ocean Cleanup partnered to create a novel solution that combines technology, data insights, and stakeholder involvement to successfully address plastic pollution in Kingston Harbour. At gully mouths, a series of Interceptor Barriers were installed to capture floating trash, involve pertinent parties, and support upstream initiatives aimed at a sustainable resolution to the ongoing issue. The operation, together with other initiatives like beach and mangrove cleanups involving volunteers and local communities, has directly intercepted nearly two million kilograms of rubbish from the harbor. The project’s offloading site has become a hub of community engagement and learning, brightly decorated and frequently visited by schoolchildren from across the region. Furthermore, a multi-year research project was launched with the University of the West Indies to quantify the benefits of the project on the mangroves and associated ecosystem services. This project provides a hands-on example of how cleanups act as catalysts within a community – providing solutions to remove existing plastic pollution while enabling a community to drive systemic change further upstream.