Visitors conduct clean up

Yesterday, some thoughtful visitors gave a helping hand as they volunteered to clean up a small garbage patch floating in the Careenage.

The visitors are sailors who are part of Atlantic and Caribbean Odyssey and Jimmy Cornell’s Non-competitive transatlantic rally for cruising sailors, from Tenerife in the Canary Islands to Barbados. On Monday, The Barbados Advocate visited some of the boats which have docked in the inner basin between National Heroes’ Square and Independence Square. Oliver, who is owner of the A Capella boat said that that about thirty boats made the journey coming from Tenerife, Santa Cruz and Cape Verde Islands. He said it took about three weeks to arrive in Barbados.

Oliver, who came up with the idea for the clean up received the assistance of the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Sanitation Service Authority, Carl Padmore. Yesterday, the PRO visited Independence Square to deliver bags for the garbage collection and organise a pick up after the clean-up was completed. Speaking to this publication Padmore said he is happy to welcome visitors to the Barbados and he appreciated them taking the initiative to clean up the inner basin.

“It is always good to promote Barbados. It is always sad when we see trash, so the Sanitation Service Authority is always keen on working with entities and individuals who just want to do so,” said Padmore.

Starting around 9.30 am about six of the visitors wearing their protective gloves and using nets fished out the garbage which was mostly made up of one-use plastics, bottles and bottle caps, food containers and food wrappers. In addition, The Barbados Advocate observed organic and animal matter trapped in the garbage patch.

In the past, Padmore explained that a clean up such as this one had been conducted by Urban and Rural Development, the Coast Guard and Barbados Tourism Board. He noted that it is an ongoing project.