From 25 to 28 June 2026, PROMAR Guyana, implemented by the University of Guyana and Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) Guyana, participated in the International Building Expo 2026 at the Guyana National Stadium in Providence, East Bank Demerara. As part of the Prevention of Marine Litter in the Caribbean Sea project, PROMAR Guyana operated as a feature of the University of Guyana's booth, showcasing circular economy solutions that transform plastic pollution into sustainable building materials for the construction and housing sectors.

The expo, which attracted over 100,000 visitors, provided a valuable platform to introduce the public to a range of recycled plastic construction materials, including plastic lumber, plastic boards, plastic asphalt and plastic powder modifiers. As part of Output 2: Circular Economy Solutions, the exhibit demonstrated how these innovative products can be effectively integrated into Guyana's housing sector, offering durable, low-maintenance alternatives to traditional building materials such as timber, and contributing to a reduction in marine plastic pollution across Guyana's rivers and coastlines.

 

Through detailed displays and demonstrations, visitors learned why plastic lumber and boards are well suited to Guyana's tropical climate, thanks to their structural integrity and resistance to moisture and biological degradation, and how plastic asphalt and powder modifiers can enhance load-bearing capacity and extend the lifespan of national infrastructure. They also explored how repurposing plastic waste into sustainable building materials supports circular economy solutions, reducing environmental pollution while contributing to the country's infrastructure and housing development.

 

By situating these innovations within the University of Guyana's booth, the exhibit successfully bridged academic research with practical, industry-level applications, offering a scalable model for turning plastic waste into a valuable resource for national development and marine litter prevention in Guyana.

 

Visitors engaged actively throughout the expo, asking detailed questions about manufacturing processes, material durability and the environmental benefits of recycled plastic products, demonstrating a strong public appetite for sustainable construction solutions. The exhibit also sparked wider conversation, with many attendees keen to know when PROMAR would expand its circular economy initiatives to their local communities, and whether the project would continue in the long term to support local economic and environmental resilience.

 

"The engagement at the Building Expo underscores a growing public appetite for sustainable, locally driven solutions to both waste management and housing challenges," said the PROMAR Project Team. "By demonstrating how plastic waste can be transformed into valuable construction resources, we are not only preventing marine litter but also building stronger, more sustainable foundations for Guyana's future."

 

By showcasing these circular economy innovations at a major national platform, PROMAR Guyana is helping to shift public perception of plastic waste from an environmental liability to a valuable resource, paving the way for future community-based recycling programs that support marine litter prevention and a cleaner, more sustainable future for Guyana's coastal and marine ecosystems.