Nuh Dash Mi Weh
iJamaica (ijamaica.org) and Bags for the People (bagsforthepeople.org) are launching their Plastic Bag Reduction and Education Campaign, "Nuh Dash Mi Weh"(Don't Throw Me Away) in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica in the Spring of 2010!
Plastic bags were introduced over 20 years ago to Jamaica. Since then, there have been issues with their disposal as well as education about their environmental impact. Treasure Beach is no exception with plastic bags and other waste items effectingthe health and ecology of the region.
Plastic bags are made from polyethylene, which is derived from natural gas and petroleum; both of which are fossil fuels that are not renewable in our lifetime. Plastic bags do not biodegrade, but photo-degrade (breakdown from exposure to light) over very long periods of time into much smaller particles that proliferate the worlds soil, oceans, and the stomachs of many coastal dwelling creatures. According to the United Nations Environmental Programme report,
Marine Litter: A Global Challenge, plastic bags are one of the top ten worst polluters our contemporary world has known.
In May 2009, iJamaica met with Treasure Beach community leaders and members to assess the needs, desires and concerns for the area. iJamaica concluded after these meetings that there was a concern for the environment and waste disposal in thecommunity. As a result the "Nuh Dash Mi Weh" Plastic Bag Reduction and Education campaign was formed.
Partnering with New York based organization, Bags for the People, iJamaica will begin the "Nuh Dash Mi Weh" campaign in April of 2010, hosting educational and re-usable bag making workshops throughout the spring.
The "Nuh Dash Mi Weh" campaign will engage children at the Sandy Banks Primary School and their families at the Treasure Beach Women's Group by teaching the invaluable skill of sewing through making re-usable bags. Bags will be made from 100% repurposed and recycled material and will be distributed by community members to local stores, markets, hotels, villas and festivals in Treasure Beach, culminating in a program that the community will be able to sustain on their own.
Click here for more information.
