NEPA Promotes "No Styrofoam Day"

April 19, 2016

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is encouraging individuals and companies islandwide to participate in "No Styrofoam Day", as commitment and contribution to mark Earth Day, April 22. The event is being promoted via the Agency’s various social media platforms.

Individuals and organizations are being encouraged to forego the use of styrofoam for that day and to commence the discussion on the impact of Styrofoam on the environment and ways to reduce its use.

Dr. Kerrine Senior, Manager of the Pollution Prevention Branch reiterated the need for Jamaicans to take care of the environment.

"Protecting the environment is an important task that we as Jamaicans all need to work together to accomplish. Earth Day, which is being celebrated under the theme, "Trees for the Earth", is a day that we remember how important the environment is to our daily lives," Dr. Senior said.

Styrofoam, is used frequently in various products such as lunch boxes, is a non-biodegradable material and one of the leading sources of marine debris.

The Agency will be hosting other events for Earth Day. The Sharon O’Connor Documentation Centre will be screening various environmental films at 11 Caledonia Avenue, as well as hosting a scavenger hunt and staging a display.

Earth Day, held each year on April 22, is an international event where the general public is sensitized on the importance of protecting the environment. Earth Day is also being celebrated as one of NEPA's 15th Anniversary Signature Days.

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