The Replast-OECS plastic recycling pilot project was developed by Unite Caribbean to create a sustainable economic solution to the issue of plastic disposal in Caribbean small island developing states. It was launched in May 2019 as a public-private initiative, with the first pilot country being St. Lucia, and to date has collected over 140,000 pounds of plastic and exported over 90,000 pounds of the material to recycling facilities in the Caribbean.

There is currently no sustained programme in place for the separation and recycling of plastic waste. As a result, there is a high incidence of indiscriminate dumping and abandonment of plastics in the environment. This can cause flooding problems in low lying areas and affect the marine environment.

The expansion of RePLAST will include mapping PET/HDPE waste streams, assessing existing recycling capacity, engaging stakeholders in recycling activities, including the Grenada Solid Waste Management Authority (GSWMA), recyclers, businesses and community groups, organising a trial shipment and developing public education materials.

The expected results of RePLAST Grenada are:

– Shipment of a 40-foot container of PET/HDPE, representing 40,000 pounds of material, or approximately 1 million bottles,

– Recyclers/GSWMA with a better technical knowledge of recycling,

– Establishment of a training of trainers system for community groups,

– Public education programme developed to improve public awareness of recycling

The RePLAST OECS concept was presented to stakeholders in Granada and plastic collection activities have started and will continue for several (7) weeks.