Jamaica has made great strides since I first moved here. There was absolutely no garbage pick up anywhere near Negril and burning of your garbage was the only method for disposal.
This was bad, but box lunches actually came in cardboard boxes and all the drinks came in returnable glass bottles. Then came the plastics.
The residents still had no garbage collection, so the plastic was burned as they had done in the past. The toxic smoke immediately became a health hazard. Education of the children started and played a huge part in stopping the burning of plastic.
The knowledge of the dangers of burning plastic and yet having no way to properly dispose of the plastic gave rise to the roadside plastic litter problem. Toss it on the ground and let the government deal with it became the only solution.
During the past few years, Negril and the surrounding areas now have regular garbage pick up. If you walk the road or beach you will see the garbage bins. And people are using them. In our local area not everyone has purchased a bin yet, so they use ours.
Just yesterday we noticed a lessening of the plastic bottles while the NWA was cutting the grass along Norman Manley Blvd.
Changing habits takes time. Instant solutions are generally not the best way to govern. As the old proverb says, the road to hell is paved with good intentions
