Guyana has successfully implemented Component 1 from Work Package 2: Community-Based Plastic Collection and Recycling Hubs, marking a significant step toward reducing plastic waste.

Four community recycling hubs have been established at Mon Repos Primary School, Good Hope Secondary School, Lusignan Primary School, and the University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus. Each hub features a specially designed green bin mounted on a swing stand, allowing residents and students to deposit recyclables conveniently. The hubs accept PET, HDPE, and LDPE plastic bottles, with users encouraged to sort, wash, and dry materials before drop-off.

Collected material will be transported to the mini recycling hub at the University of Guyana, where it is inspected, shredded into plastic flakes, and transformed into value-added souvenir products. This process puts circular economy principles into practice, reducing landfill burden while creating sustainable products from discarded materials.

The initiative also empowers schools as environmental champions, engages youth in hands-on sustainability practices, and strengthens community participation in climate and marine litter solutions. By embedding recycling infrastructure within schools and community spaces, the program fosters long-term behavioral change and environmental stewardship.

The Community-Based Plastic Collection and Recycling Hubs offer a scalable model for circular economy implementation across Guyana, demonstrating that sustainable waste management is achievable, practical, and economically viable.

Check the photos below: