The Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce celebrated the launch of their Cayman Clean Campaign on Thursday, October 3 at Smith Barcadere.

The Cayman Clean initiative is a public awareness campaign to focus attention on littering and its impact on the environment, our tourism product and our communities. It is an extension of the Chamber’s Earth Day Roadside and Beach Cleanups that the organisation has coordinated for more than 20 years.

The launch event unveiled the first of a series of custom-made trash receptacles. The attractive wooden structures were created in partnership with the Northward Prison rehabilitation unit. The inmates at Northward Prison built the structures according to the vision of Marlon Watson, who coordinates the workshop at Northward Prison. Both durable and practical, the structures have been cleverly designed to hold two 55-gallon trash receptacles, which were generously sponsored by Cox Lumber Company.

“It’s an upgrade from the cans that are already here … those are metal oil drums sitting out exposed to the elements – rain, sun, and animals that go in and out. It’s a way to allow us to beautify the island and our public areas.” Said Nelson Dilbert, member of The Chamber Council.

Government representatives from The Ministry of Environment were also in attendance, and have shown ongoing support for The Cayman Clean Initiative.

Minister of Health, Environment, Culture & Housing, Hon. Dwayne Seymour noted: “At the Ministry responsible for Environment, we understand our natural resources to be of the utmost importance to the Cayman Islands.  Litter and unrecycled waste are ongoing threats to our green spaces and sea life. These human-made behaviours and products all pose major risks to the health and wellbeing of all living species in our beautiful islands. The Ministry endeavours to develop solutions, as well as to support ventures like Cayman Clean Campaign, which help tackle the issue of protection of the environment and of environmental health.”

Ministerial Councillor for Environment, Eugene Ebanks, also added: “We understand that these challenges are complex; therefore, we must support and applaud initiatives that take action to prevent, reduce, and mitigate the harmful effects of littering. We are grateful for the Chamber of Commerce for using the opportunity to also deploy a much-needed rehabilitation effort as well.”

Over the next week, a further 9 structures will be placed in high traffic locations across the island. These locations have been identified and approved by the Department of Environmental Health and the Parks, Recreation and Cemeteries Unit, who have also shown their support by committing to regular trash collections. We are hopeful that the ongoing campaign will address the problem of litter more consistently, and inspire a shift in the social etiquette and community courtesy when gathering in public spaces.

We at The Chamber are enthusiastic about the outcome, and confident that the campaign will have a positive effect on the prevention of litter across the island.

Photo Caption:

Representatives from The Chamber of Commerce and project partners gather at Smith’s Barcadere to place the first Cayman Clean trash receptacle.

From left to right: 
Marlon Watson, Prison officer, Workshop Instructor, Her Majesty’s Cayman Islands Prison Service (HMCIPS)

Roz Griffiths, CAYMAN CLEAN committee member

Joe Shelter, General Manager, Cox Lumber Company Ltd.

Wil Pineau, CEO, Chamber of Commerce (front kneeling)

Angello Roye, Foreman, Department of Environmental Health

Debert Dawes, Foreman, Collections, Department of Environmental Health

Chris Kirkconnell, President, Chamber of Commerce

Steven Barrett, Prison Director, Her Majesty’s Cayman Islands Prison Service (HMCIPS)

Nelson Dilbert, Councillor, Chamber of Commerce and CAYMAN CLEAN chair (kneeling)

Aduke Natalie Joseph-Caesar, Deputy Director, Rehabilitation, Her Majesty’s Cayman Islands Prison Service (HMCIPS) (front)

Andrea Bodden, Policy Advisor for Environment and Housing, Ministry of Health, Environment, Culture and Housing

Nancy Barnard, Chief Officer, Ministry of Health, Environment, Culture and Housing

About the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce

The Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce represents more than 650 businesses and associations across all industry sectors in the Cayman Islands. Its members employ over 18,000 persons or about 45% of the country’s labour force. The Chamber supports, promotes and protects the interests of its members and the public welfare and serves as a catalyst for positive change connecting community, business and government.