More than 230 volunteers collected nearly 4,000 pounds of waste during an International Coastal Clean-Up exercise along the Port of Spain Foreshore on Saturday.
The exercise, coordinated by the Environmental Policy and Planning Division (EPPD) of the Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development, in collaboration with key environmental agencies and organisations, is part of an initiative that provides valuable data on the types and quantities of marine debris found along the country’s coastline.
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- 234 volunteers
- 3,912.94 lbs of garbage
- 1,186.22 lbs of plastic
- 129.44 lbs of glass
- 2,597.28 lbs of miscellaneous items
Above are the initial estimates regarding the International Coastal Clean-Up (ICC) exercise along the Foreshore of Port of Spain coordinated by the Environmental Policy and Planning Division (EPPD) of the Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development. The exercise along the Port of Spain Foreshore was held in collaboration with the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), both agencies of the Planning Ministry, and the German Government funded project Promar on September 12, 2026.
This is part of the annual International Coastal Clean-up initiative spearheaded by the Caribbean Network for Integrated Rural Development (CNIRD), which continues to serve as the national coordinator of the ICC since it introduced the initiative to the country. CNIRD is the country liaison with the global body, Ocean Conservancy, and leads the coordination of the annual event. CNIRD, in conjunction with a National Planning Committee, comprising representatives from government agencies including the Environmental Policy and Planning Division of the Ministry, the private sector and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), implements ICC activities annually in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development, which is the ministry with responsibility for Trinidad and Tobago’s environment is the largest financial sponsor of the ICC since 2007.
Planning, Economic Affairs and Development Minister Kennedy Swaratsingh was on hand to participate in the exercise and thanked all of the representatives from the Scouting Association, various schools, private sector organisations, community-based groups and individuals. In a message to the nation, Minister Swaratsingh encouraged citizens to practice normalizing the use of re-usable bags and water bottles as opposed to single use plastics. The Minister, who also has responsibility for the environment, also spoke to the practices of disposing of litter in waterways and indiscriminately out of cars as some of the practices that need to be changed by certain members of the public.
In support of the Minister’s pleas, Managing Director and CEO of the EMA, Dr. Joth Singh indicated that the EMA is focused on initiating a Knowledge Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Survey, the last of which was conducted in 2016. This according to Dr. Singh, will determine the level of awareness of the Trinidad and Tobago public with regard to waste disposal and littering. This will provide data to develop policies and actions that can resolve waste disposal issues.
In terms of data, the ICC provides valuable national data on marine debris that supports environmental management, policymaking and public awareness initiatives. This data assists government agencies in identifying pollution hotspots, evaluating the effectiveness of waste management interventions, supporting the development of targeted policies and legislation to reduce single-use plastics and other problematic waste streams while strengthening integrated coastal zone management. The data gathered for ICC also contributes significantly to reporting commitments under various international environmental agreements, including the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Clean Seas Campaign, the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 14, Life Below Water and other similar international treaties.
In 2025, ICC activities were conducted at fifty-two (52) sites in Trinidad and ten (10) sites in Tobago. Nationally, over 4,478 volunteers cleaned approximately 100 km of the country’s coastline, collecting 21,861 kg of marine debris. Plastic debris ranked 7 out of the top 10 items collected, with the top three (3) items being 68,780 plastic beverage bottles, 19,288 plastic foam pieces and 12,591 plastic bottle caps.
Minister Swaratsingh adds that Government is committed to national environmental and climate resilient policies that aim to reduce marine litter entering coastal and marine ecosystems, protect critical habitats such as mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds and beaches while enhancing the resilience of coastal ecosystems that provide natural protection against climate-related hazards in Trinidad and Tobago.
The ICC is a key project being implemented under the environmental and climate change mandate of the Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development.