Students give families a 900lb lesson in pollution

(CNS): Student activists from Protect Our Future led a community clean-up event at Safe Haven this weekend and collected more than 900lbs of garbage, including two huge refrigerators, a toilet and a generator. As politicians were horsetrading over who should take the reins of power and be responsible for addressing these mounting problems, the students were doing their part to educate their younger brothers and sisters and their parents about Cayman’s waste-pollution problem. POF said that much of the trash was marine debris, such as plastic bottles caps, fishing line and polystyrene.

But at least half was local litter, including hundreds of beer bottles and cans, dirty diapers and thousands of cigarette butts tossed into the bushes. POF said in a release that it is clear that Cayman’s anti-litter law is not enforced and shows a dark side of our local litter problem.

Grade 12 students Genene Magnan and Isabela Watler organised the event in partnership with both Plastic Free Cayman and Ocean Heroes Bootcamp. Magnan said it was one of the most successful 100% youth-led beach clean-ups to date.

“More than 105 bags were collected by volunteers of ages ranging from four to 60 plus,” she said. “The waste collected highlights the local litter problem on island, and although discouraging, is a reminder that there is still the need for public education on the topic of litter. One of the additional goals of this beach clean-up was to forge connections across the youth, teaching younger children about the problem of plastic pollution in Cayman, and how to instill real and tangible change.”

Magnan had a clear message for the politicians: “As we anticipate the formation of our new government, we do hope that our future leaders seriously consider a ban on specific plastic items, a stricter enforcement of our anti-litter law, and instituting a serious recycling and composting plan of action. If done properly, each of these initiatives could create local jobs for our community while improving our environment.”

Helping Magnan and Watler were Grade 10 students Lili Aleria, Demae Lee, Lauren Colaiacovo and Angelina Sargsayan, who ran the education booth to teach all the children and their families about the dangers of plastic pollution and alternatives to plastic consumer goods. Each family was paired with a student from Protect Our Future in order to continue the education process throughout the event and to help the younger students with the clean up. 

“This event was designed to teach little kids about plastic pollution,” said Watler. “Our new POF members did a great job teaching the kids and buddying with them throughout the clean-up. We are very hopeful that these collaborations will continue into the future.”

POF also urged the community to join the Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Earth Day clean-up next weekend. See here for more details.