KFTL collects 30,000 bottles in six weeks
Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL) has reported that it collected close to 30,000 bottles, weighing 970 lbs, for recycling in the first six weeks of its environmental initiative tagged ‘KFTL Go Blue: Recycling Begins with you’.
The campaign, which was launched on World Environment Day, June 5, features various initiatives to reduce the environmental footprint of KFTL’s operations through energy/resource conservation and recycling/solid waste management. It includes the introduction of colour-coded bins in strategic locations across the terminal to facilitate the separation of waste streams by staff and stakeholders. The separated waste is then collected by Recycling Partners of Jamaica, which prepares plastics for recycling.
“The support has been remarkable so far from both staff and stakeholders,” noted Christopher Gayle, environmental specialist at KFTL.
“We are cognisant of the fact that waste separation practices are part of an overall behavioural change which is necessary for us to see real impact, so we will continue to raise awareness so that the efforts are seen not just on the port but also in our wider communities,” he added.
In tandem with the energy conservation and recycling initiatives, KFTL, which has 1,000 employees, has also discontinued the supply of single-use plastic straws at its canteen facility and is progressing with plans to replace styrofoam food-ware with biodegradable containers.
It was among several companies worldwide that observed ‘plastic-free July’ to bring awareness to the negative effect of plastics on the environment and to reduce the use of disposable forms in particular.
Recycling Partners of Jamaica reported that between March 2014 and March 2017, it collected over 3.3 million pounds of plastic — or over 100 million plastic bottles — from the environment in Jamaica.