The Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Colombia, British Virgin Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname, not only share their access to the Caribbean Sea, but also several economic characteristics: tourism, fisheries and maritime transport are of central importance. However, these industries all produce large amounts of waste, namely Fast Moving Consumer Goods wrapped in single-use plastic packaging. Inadequate collection and disposal have given rise to wide-spread public concerns about pollution levels and marine debris in the Caribbean Sea. 

Studies have measured the concentration of plastic litter across the north-eastern Caribbean region and found as many as 200,000 pieces of plastic per square kilometer, which is on average 2,014 littered items per kilometer. Most of this litter originates from Caribbean countries and northern waters.