University of Guyana Showcases PROMAR Project at CWWA 2025: With Emphasis on Circular Solutions to Plastic Waste in the Caribbean
San Pedro, Belize – October 20 - 25, 2025 – The University of Guyana, through Guyana-PROMAR Coordinator, proudly represented Guyana and the Prevention of Marine Litter in the Caribbean Sea (PROMAR) project at the 34th Annual Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) Conference and Exhibition, held in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
Under the thematic area “Promoting Sustainability through Effective Solid Waste Management,” Professor Temitope D. Timothy Oyedotun, PROMAR Project Lead for Guyana, delivered a technical presentation titled “Implementing Circular Economy Solutions for Plastic Waste Reduction: Insights from the PROMAR Pilot Case in Guyana.” The presentation formed part of the session on Sustainable Waste Management in Small Island States on 23 October 2025, drawing attention to regional innovations in marine litter prevention and resource recovery.
Professor Oyedotun’s presentation highlighted Guyana’s leadership in piloting circular economy-based interventions to tackle marine litter—particularly plastics—along the country’s heavily populated and climate-vulnerable coast. Guyana ranks among the highest globally for per-capita mismanaged plastic waste entering the ocean, with an estimated 1.59 kg/person/year reaching marine environments. Against this backdrop, the PROMAR initiative, funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV) and coordinated by adelphi and UNEP’s Cartagena Convention Secretariat (CCS), is pioneering community-driven approaches to reduce plastic leakage across eight Caribbean countries.
In Guyana, the PROMAR project is being implemented by the University of Guyana in collaboration with local communities and private sector partners. The pilot focuses on coastal villages along the East Coast—Mon Repos, De Endragt, Good Hope, and Lusignan—where interventions integrate scientific monitoring with community participation to transform waste into value.
From Waste to Value: A Community-Based Approach
The Guyana-PROMAR pilot demonstrated the effectiveness of linking technical solutions with local empowerment. The project established community recycling hubs, deployed floating river booms to intercept plastics in drainage canals, and introduced a waste-for-token exchange system that rewards residents for segregating recyclables.
Complementary activities being piloted include training in circular design and ecoentrepreneurship, school outreach programmes, and public awareness campaigns on sustainable waste management. Early results show measurable reductions in plastic leakage and increased community engagement, with participants reporting enhanced knowledge and motivation to adopt environmentally responsible practices. “Circular economy solutions work best when they combine technology, community engagement, and education,” Professor Oyedotun noted. “The PROMAR pilot in
Guyana is proving that environmental sustainability and social inclusion can go hand in hand, generating both ecological benefits and livelihood opportunities.”
PROMAR’s broader mission is to prevent plastics from reaching the Caribbean Sea by promoting circular systems that reduce, recover, and recycle waste. Its regional coordination across eight participating countries—Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Kitts and Nevis, the British Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic—creates opportunities for shared learning and harmonised policies, including the advancement of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks.
The University of Guyana’s participation at CWWA 2025 underscores the nation’s growing contribution to Caribbean environmental leadership and highlights the role of academia in driving data-informed and community-based sustainability practices.
