COLLECTION POINTS LAUNCHES POSTPONED

PRESS STATEMENT  

For Immediate Release 

NOVEMBER SCHEDULE OF REPLAST COLLECTION POINTS LAUNCHES POSTPONED 

Castries, November 5th, 2020; Mindful of the recent spike in the infection rate of COVID-19  in Saint Lucia, and the call by Health authorities to limit non-essential movement, the  RePLAST-OECS Pilot Plastic Recycling Project guided by its Steering Committee has placed a  temporary hold on plans for the operationalization of the first four RePLAST Collection  Points (RCP). 

In a news release and a social media promotional campaign issued last week, the RePLAST OECS Project had announced a weekly schedule of launches that would see an RCP  commence operations every Saturday in November. Out of consideration for the safety and peace of mind of the Project’s 100 community volunteers, the staff of the community partners and the general public, the commencement of PET and HDPE plastic collection in communities through these collection points must be deferred. 

The RePLAST-OECS Project is cognizant of and encouraged by the number of residents who have been anticipating the establishment of a system for the continuous collection of plastic waste. The public is therefore advised, that a new schedule will be announced when the all-clear has been given for non-essential movement and public gatherings. At this time, the  Project will be guided by the assessment of Health Authorities after the initial 30-day wait period.  

In the interim, work continues apace to complete the online portal which will serve as the administrative “office” and the marketplace for the rewards system. The public is encouraged to visit www.replastoecs.com to register for a RePLAST Rewards Programme,  which enables them to amass redeemable reward points for every pound of plastic collected and delivered to the RCP. 

he RePLAST‒OECS Pilot Plastic Recycling Project launched in May 2019, is a two-year public-private initiative, being implemented by UNITE Caribbean and is aimed at setting-up an incentivized plastic waste collection and recycling scheme. The plastic collected will be exported to a recycling plant in the Caribbean promoting a circular economy model. The first pilot country is Saint Lucia with subsequent replication in the OECS countries. 

To date, the RePLAST‒OECS Project has facilitated an experimental shipment working with local recyclers. This included two 40- foot containers of baled PET bottles of approximately  26,000 pounds (lbs). This exported plastic waste would normally be disposed of and as a  result, has increased the life of the Landfill. 

About Unite Caribbean  

UNITE Caribbean is a Caribbean cooperation and development consulting firm, supporting the social and economic development of Caribbean territories through regional technical cooperation. Unite Caribbean consults on behalf of governments and the private sector on projects of paramount importance to the Caribbean in a range of disciplines including Public  Governance, Climate Change, Environment, Education, Sport, Economic Development, and  Public health.

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