Kingston Harbour Cleanup Project Milestones Achieved

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Nearly 6 million kilograms of waste have been stopped from entering Kingston Harbour since the launch of the Kingston Harbour Cleanup Project. This is a major milestone for the four-year initiative aimed at reducing marine pollution in one of Jamaica’s most important natural assets.

The results were announced on June 5. This was during the GraceKennedy Foundation’s 36th annual public lecture. The event took place at The University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters.

The project is implemented through a partnership among the GraceKennedy Foundation, Clean Harbours Jamaica Limited, and The Ocean Cleanup. It combines waste-interception technology, scientific research, and community engagement. This multifaceted approach addresses solid waste pollution before it reaches the harbour.

Lecture Speakers

The lecture, titled The Kingston Harbour Cleanup Project: From Vision to Reality, brought together project partners and environmental experts to examine the initiative’s impact. In addition, speakers discussed the harbour’s long-term outlook.

Speakers included Caroline Mahfood, CEO of the GraceKennedy Foundation, and Michael McCarthy, managing director of Clean Harbours Jamaica Limited.

Also present was Professor Mona Webber, CD, head of the Department of Life Sciences at UWI Mona and the GraceKennedy Foundation’s James S. Moss-Solomon Senior Chair in the Environment. Professor Michael Taylor, dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology at UWI Mona, moderated the discussion.

The event also featured a video message from Boyan Slat, founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup. He noted Jamaica’s contribution to global efforts to reduce solid waste pollution in rivers and oceans.

Mahfood, in a presentation titled From Pipe Dream to Partnership, said the project reflects the power of collaboration in reducing pollution and protecting Kingston Harbour.

“This project demonstrates what can be achieved when organizations and communities work together around a common goal,” Mahfood said. “Sustaining and expanding this progress will require continued national commitment.”

McCarthy outlined how the project has expanded since its launch and how Interceptor technology has been deployed to stop solid waste from reaching the harbour.

“From household appliances to motor vehicles, we have removed a wide range of waste from Kingston’s gullies,” McCarthy said. “The scale and complexity of the challenge has required practical, locally developed solutions to prevent waste from reaching the harbour.”

The lecture also examined the harbour’s long-term environmental outlook. Webber shared ongoing research. It assesses whether reduced waste inflows linked to the project are contributing to environmental recovery.

“Kingston Harbour has experienced significant environmental decline over many decades,” Webber said. “The KHCP has played an important role in protecting vulnerable ecosystems and generating valuable environmental data. We are now undertaking the scientific assessments needed to better understand the harbour’s recovery trajectory.”

The full lecture is available on GraceKennedy’s YouTube channel. A companion publication chronicling the Kingston Harbour Cleanup Project will be released in the coming weeks at gracekennedy.com/public-lecture-series.

GraceKennedy Foundation

The GraceKennedy Foundation is the philanthropic arm of GraceKennedy Limited, one of the Caribbean’s largest and most diversified conglomerates. Established in 1982, the foundation supports education, healthy lifestyles and environmental stewardship across Jamaica.

The Kingston Harbour Cleanup Project is among its major long-term environmental initiatives and reflects its commitment to Jamaica’s sustainable development.