Seventy volunteers filled over 250 bags with garbage during a cleanup in Castries on Sunday.
From about 6:00 am, the volunteers worked along the Alan Bousquet and Choc Highways, headed for the Vigie Roundabout, and ended at Vigie Beach at noon.
The participants included crew and passengers of the vessel -Freewinds, members of the St. Joseph’s Convent Key Clubbers, and officers from the Vulnerable Persons Team (VPT) of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF).
Diane Felicien CEO and Founder of Do Nation Foundation and the Good Deeds Day Leader for the Caribbean, praised the turnout, telling St. Lucia Times that organisers expected more volunteers, but realised that the weather impacted participation.
Felicien said they collected items, including plastic waste, glass bottles and cigarette butts.
“The bus stop areas were unbelievable. There was one bus stop where we got 15 bags of garbage,” she disclosed.
Felicien felt the situation underscored the need for continuing education to help people realise indiscriminate garbage disposal’s negative impact on the environment, including Saint Lucia’s waterways.
She acknowledged the support of the cleanup activity’s main sponsor, Massy Stores, the Saint Lucia Hospitality Credit Union, and the Saint Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority, which provided garbage bags and gloves.
“Good deeds day is a day that we do good, we speak good and we think good. So we continue to encourage people to do good to the environment,” CEO and Founder of Do Nation Foundation and the Good Deeds Day Leader for the Caribbean stated.
Last year, Felicien’s organisation participated in a similar cleanup, starting from the Choc Roundabout and ending at Massy Stores Rodney Bay.
At that time, volunteers collected two truckloads of garbage.
“It is something we do annually, but it is something we would wish to do monthly because there is a need for it. If you drive along our highways, you will see the amount of garbage there. We wish we could do it monthly, but then we do it annually or we do it as we see the need,” Felicien told St. Lucia Times.
The bus stops need garbage bins. The garbage collection needs to be regular. There needs to fines for careless dumping and littering
Bravo!
Please include their information…numbers email…dates of regiment… I wish to participate…i have access to truck to dispose of waste and will gladly assist in the collection….we have no pride….and the generation behind me are lost
Csn we do this more regularly it might catch on if we practice …am willing to join
After you have cleaned up you need to ensure there are adequate bins for garbage disposal and frequent pick up(s) – don’t you have a sanitation department?????. Once you have put these measures in place – then next steps should be charging individuals for littering. Most St. Lucians have always had a disgusting habit of littering their own environment which allows for breeding of mosquitoes, vermin, rat infestation etc. etc. etc. – when will you people learn??????
We need garbage police/policing period and fines imposed on offenders. The persistent bad habits of residents do not change even when there are garbage bins available. The Mayor tries. The Ministry of Tourism tries. Ask the Castries City Council – they have to deal with this mess daily. They do not like it either. The CCC cleans up then in just a few hours, there’s a stinking mess – again and again. This waste from the city makes it back down to the waterways constantly polluting our lovely beaches including the one locals often use at Tapion. It is a shame!
bring back police zodee
Mal prop . Disgusting human behaviour. You should see the rivers of plastic far out at sea after heavy rain . Stop buying plastic bottles , water ,soda & juice? Stop accepting take out plastics. We can all make a difference.