On a sunny Wednesday in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, one of the island’s most beloved community-focused tourism destinations took a meaningful leap forward in environmental stewardship with the official launch of the “Let’s Keep Treasure Beach Clean” project. The initiative is the product of a collaborative partnership between SPM Waste Management Limited, one of Jamaica’s leading waste management service providers, and the BREDS Treasure Beach Foundation, a local non-profit organization dedicated to advancing community well-being and conservation in the area.
The launch event was hosted at Kingfish Plaza, located in the scenic coastal district of Calabash Bay, drawing together local business owners, community leaders, government representatives, and residents to mark the start of the program. At its core, the project is designed to do two key things: boost compliance with sustainable waste management practices among both local households and commercial operators, and meet the rising infrastructure needs of Treasure Beach’s fast-growing community tourism sector, which draws thousands of eco-conscious travelers to the area each year.
One of the most tangible first actions of the initiative was the unveiling of roughly 100 custom garbage drums, which will be distributed to a wide range of community stakeholders in the coming weeks. These new containers are engineered to improve waste containment across the region, cutting down on litter that can wash into coastal ecosystems and make regular waste collection routes far more efficient for sanitation teams.
Speaking to assembled attendees at the launch, Mayor Richard Solomon emphasized that a consistently clean, unspoiled natural environment is the backbone of Treasure Beach’s ongoing appeal as a top tourism destination. “As our community continues to expand, especially in the small-scale cottage accommodation sector that is central to our tourism model, we cannot afford to let our guard down when it comes to protecting the landscapes and shorelines that draw visitors here,” Solomon told the crowd. “Keeping our home clean is a responsibility that falls on every single one of us, and it directly shapes both our economic prosperity and our quality of life.”
Sheldon Smith, Regional Operations Manager at SPM Waste Management Limited, used his address to call for a lasting shift in how local residents think about waste disposal. Smith explained that improper disposal habits—including illegal dumping and incorrect waste sorting—place unnecessary extra strain on municipal and private waste collection systems, stretching resources thin and reducing service quality for the entire community. “Waste management isn’t just a job for sanitation trucks and collection officers,” Smith noted. “It starts with every individual making the right choice about how and where they throw away their trash. Every person has a part to play in keeping our shared community clean.”
Jason Henzel, chairman of the BREDS Treasure Beach Foundation, framed the new initiative as a critical step to protecting the unique community-led tourism legacy that has made Treasure Beach a global model for sustainable travel. “Treasure Beach has been a standard-bearer for responsible community tourism for decades, built on the vision of early pioneers like Desmond Henry who saw the value of growing tourism without sacrificing our natural home,” Henzel said. “This partnership between the private sector and local community groups ensures that as we welcome more visitors and grow our local economy, we do it in a way that protects what makes this place special.”
Delroy Williams, State Minister in Jamaica’s Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, also attended the launch and praised the cross-sector collaboration between the private company and local non-profit. Williams highlighted that the project aligns perfectly with the Jamaican government’s broader national goals to upgrade public services and improve community infrastructure across the island. He also shared that ongoing national economic growth will allow the government to allocate more resources to waste management and public service delivery in communities across Jamaica in the coming months.
Overall, the launch of “Let’s Keep Treasure Beach Clean” represents a key investment in both long-term environmental protection and inclusive local economic development. It serves as a reminder of how cross-sector partnerships and active public participation can work together to preserve Jamaica’s unique natural and built environments for future generations.