Jamaica Introduces New Plastic Bottle Deposit and Refund Scheme

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The Government of Jamaica has pledged USD 573,000 to implement a new plastic deposit and refund scheme. The announcement regarding the proposed three-year scheme was made by Minister Daryl Vaz while speaking at a conservation event in the capital city of Kingstown. A private sector company has already been chosen to implement the programme, he said.

As per new scheme, customers will be charged a small fee when purchasing plastic bottles, which in turn will be refunded to them upon returning the used bottle for recycling. The cash incentive on used plastic bottles will reduce litter and encourage customers to return them for cash. He urged manufacturers of plastic bottles to make necessary changes to adapt to the new scheme, the details of which will be soon made available to public.

According to Jamaican government, it is planning to introduce various schemes to rectify the problems caused by improper disposal of solid waste. It has already collaborated with the United Nations (UN) project to minimize the plastic usage in the country. Estimates suggest that an average Jamaican uses nearly 350 plastic bottles every year.

The Minister cited the enormous success of a similar deposit refund scheme implemented in Norway, which had resulted in 97% recycling rates.