Chamber of Commerce staff show off the Guy Harvey T-shirts for Earth Day
(CNS Local Life): The Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce is completing preparation for its 2018 Earth Day Clean-up, which is set for Saturday, 21 April. For more than 20 years, the chamber has encouraged businesses from the private sector and members of the wider community to don a pair of gloves, pick up a trash bag, and head out to local parks, beaches, beauty spots and roads and pick up trash.
“We are incredibly lucky to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, so it’s important that we keep our picturesque landscapes and beaches clean and safe for everyone,” said chamber CEO Wil Pineau in a press release.
“Unfortunately, litter has become a major problem for the Islands, and it’s only getting worse. Last year our volunteers collected thousands of bags of trash, including things like broken glass, syringes, car parts, and much more.”
This year’s clean-up will take place from 7-10am, with a complimentary breakfast held at George Town Yacht Club to reward the hard work of all volunteers.
“The Department of Environmental Health (DEH) and various community groups work tirelessly to keep these Islands clean, but there are people living in Cayman that do not respect the environment, and as a result there are still reports of illegal dumpsites scattered across the Islands,” Pineau said, adding that tourism will begin to suffer if visitors encounter “vast amounts of litter wherever they go” and stressed that everyone should “work together to raise awareness of littering and ways in which we can reduce it”.
Teams of volunteers register for the clean-up and select an area of Grand Cayman that they will focus on cleaning. Each volunteer team is presented with trash bags and plastic gloves, supplied by the DEH and Foster’s Food Fair. Volunteers are also given exclusive Earth Day items, including reusable tote bags, hats, and T-shirts designed by wildlife artist and conservationist Dr Guy Harvey.
The Chamber of Commerce has previously established the Environmental Pledge for local businesses, having them commit to reusing, reducing and recycling. The Chamber also worked with members to introduce 200 trash receptacles that were placed around Grand Cayman, and in 2018 will look to start a new anti-littering campaign.
Anyone interested in volunteering for the Earth Day Clean-up can register their team online here. T-shirts will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
EVERY DAY should be earth clean up day. When I see a piece of trash or bottle or plastic on the road and I’m walking by I pick it up and find the nearest trash can to dispose of it. But if it’s sooooo much we all should do the same then our streets and beaches and islands on a whole would be clean.
Why only do this once a year? I get that it’s Earth Day so a feel good time to have a clean up but we are constantly picking up other people’s garbage at the beach so an organised clean up once a month would be a lot more beneficial in my opinion. Ideally people would stop littering but as there has never been any enforcement it has become a normal part of life for many and the rest of us clean up the mess.