The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded funding to the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) to support the Caribbean Plastics Recycling Project, a regional initiative aimed at expanding plastic waste collection and strengthening recycling systems across the Caribbean. This investment comes at a crucial time, as Caribbean nations grapple with rising waste management costs, growing plastic pollution, and an increasing demand for sustainable economic opportunities. Carlos Pagoaga, president of The Coca-Cola Foundation, highlighted that the initiative will empower waste collectors, support innovative recycling solutions, and generate long-term economic and environmental benefits for Caribbean communities.
According to the World Bank Group, more than 320,000 tons of plastic waste go uncollected annually in the Caribbean, threatening fragile marine ecosystems and affecting key sectors such as tourism, fisheries, and shipping. The region’s dispersed island geography, limited waste management infrastructure, small markets, constrained financing, low public awareness, and cross-border regulations make establishing robust recycling systems particularly challenging.
The one-year, multi-country program will operate in Grenada, Suriname, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, The Bahamas, and Guyana. These countries offer critical opportunities to strengthen waste management systems, protect marine environments, and support local livelihoods. By fostering regional collaboration, local partnerships, and innovative recycling models, the project aims to increase plastic recovery, reduce landfill pressure, and create economic opportunities for women, youth, and underserved communities.
Katie Taylor, executive director of PADF, emphasized that the project builds resilient communities and ecosystems by empowering local waste collectors, strengthening recycling infrastructure, and promoting sustainable economic growth. The initiative is implemented by PADF in partnership with CircularPak, a circular economy consultancy, focusing on three core strategies: strengthening local “recycling champions” to improve collection and processing efficiency, expanding networks of waste collectors to generate income and enhance plastic recovery, and fostering regional linkages to reduce costs and improve the viability of in-country and regional recycling systems.
This project continues the longstanding partnership between PADF and The Coca-Cola Foundation, which has since 2022 provided training, equipment, and support to hundreds of waste collectors while enabling the collection of over 2,300 tons of plastic. These efforts have strengthened local recycling systems, empowered communities—particularly women and youth—and promoted more resilient environmental and economic systems across the Caribbean.
