Cashew Gardens Community
Cashew Gardens Community Recycling Programme (CGCRP
History
In 2015, the Children of Cashew Gardens were trained by the Water and Sewage Authority to test the quality of the water in the Caparo River. While conducting this activity it was discovered that several plastic bottles were polluting the waterways and therefore we partnered with the Adopt a River program to engage in a River clean-up activity. The volume of plastic bottles removed from the Caparo River lead us to start the Cashew Gardens Community Recycling Program. It is our belief that if we educated our neighbors on proper waste disposal practices it may reduce the amount of pollution in the Caparo River.
The Cashew Gardens Community Recycling Program was started in 2016 The majority of these solid waste included plastic bottles and other household items. The council partnered with several other stakeholders: the Adopt a River Program,the EMA/iCare, Carib Glassworks Limited, SWMCOL, and Recycling Waste and Logistics Ltd.
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This project was undertaken with no funding and manned by voluntary workers from the council and the children of the community. In 2020 the Cashew Gardens Community Recycling Program received funding from the Green Fund Execution Unit to expand our program into eight other communities that also impacts the Caparo River. The initiative saw an increase in collection on a monthly basis and can be considered highly successful.
We continue to encourage our citizenry through community meetings and social media ad's to be more responsible with their waste disposal practices thereby protecting our nation’s rivers, seas and landfills.
