The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), national coordinator for International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day, is gearing up for this year’s cleanup of local coastlines on September 20, under the continuing theme ‘Sea the Change‘.

Now in its 17th year as national coordinator, JET invites communities, schools, companies, and individuals to take part once again in the world’s largest single-day volunteer effort to clean up our beaches and waterways. ICC Day was established by Ocean Conservancy in 1986 and is now observed in more than 100 countries around the world.

ICC Day Jamaica is made possible with the generous support of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF),  and longstanding international partner, Ocean Conservancy. Together, they help fuel this island-wide effort to raise awareness about marine pollution and remove harmful waste from Jamaica’s coastal environments.

“In Jamaica, ICC Day has become a movement—powered by thousands of volunteers, big-hearted sponsors, and communities who care deeply about our environment,” said Dr Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie, chief executive officer of JET.

In 2024, 109 groups consisting of 5,802 volunteers removed 69,010 pounds of waste from 272 miles of Jamaican coastline, across 168 cleanups in all 14 parishes. The top items collected included plastic bottles, caps, plates, cups and plastic/ foam pieces—waste that does not biodegrade and poses a major threat to marine life and human health.

“This year, we are again encouraging cleanup groups to pay close attention to plastic foam—one of the most persistent and problematic forms of marine litter,” said Justin Saunders, JET programme director. “Foam items like food containers, cups and packaging are largely not recyclable and break down into tiny pieces that pollute our coastlines and harm marine ecosystems.”

Site coordinator registration is open until July 23 for those interested in hosting their own ICC Day cleanups. Groups must register with JET to participate.

Individual volunteers or groups who want to join JET’s flagship cleanup at the Palisadoes Go-Kart Track will be able to sign up between August 18- 29.

“Since the plastic ban was introduced in 2019, we’ve seen a reduction in the amount of plastic collected during ICC cleanups. This may be due in part to fewer volunteers in recent years, but it also likely reflects growing awareness, initiatives like the deposit refund scheme for plastic bottles, and the installation of garbage barriers in Kingston gullies under projects like The Ocean Cleanup. These are encouraging signs that change is possible, and we would love to see a return to the massive volunteer turnout of 2019, when over 12,000 Jamaicans joined the effort across the island,” said Dr Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie, JET chief executive officer.

“Cleanups are just one part of the solution, but they’re a meaningful entry point. They inspire change, support public education, and give people a direct way to be part of the solution. We also need continued investment in waste reduction, recycling, and public awareness campaigns like Nuh Dutty Up Jamaica.”