Sustainability in the Caribbean - Sailors for the Sea

Sustainability in the Caribbean

 March 28, 2013  | By: Oceana

This week the BVI Spring Regatta gets underway and many sailors have descended upon Tortola for this exciting event. The regattas organizers have made a strong commitment to Clean Regattas over the past four years, and last year was the first Gold Level Clean Regatta outside the United States. (Look for a report on their 2013 Clean Regatta certification next week.)

With such a strong focus on sustainability at the regatta, we wanted to learn more about green initiatives year round.  This months Ocean Watch Essay features Green VI, an organization dedicated to addressing waste management issues in the British Virgin Islands. We were surprised to learn that an estimated 3.8 million bottles were imported into Tortola in 1996. The Green VI’s glass studio takes some of that  trash and turns it into treasure! The beautiful, handmade glass blown objects are then sold as souvenirs,  and profits support other environmental initiatives in the BVI.

Learn more about their work by reading the full essay:  Waste Management Problems in the Caribbean: How Green VI targets these issues.