On Saturday, September 20, Rose Hall (Developments) Limited proudly hosted its annual Beach and Road Clean-Up in recognition of International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day 2025. This year’s effort was a resounding success, bringing together more than 200 dedicated volunteers from across Montego Bay to tackle pollution and protect our environment.
With the support of Major Richard Vernon and his team from the St. James Municipal Corporation through the MoBay STEP UP Program, participants collected over 100 bags of plastic bottles and more than 50 bags of assorted waste, totalling an impressive 2565lbs of garbage. Cleanup efforts focused on two critical areas: the Rose Hall turtle nesting beach (2 km) and the Rose Hall–Spot Valley Road (2 km). By removing this waste before it reached the ocean, the initiative helped safeguard marine life, coastal ecosystems, and the community.
Richard Vernon, Mayor of Montego Bay participates in the Beach Clean Up over by the Aqueduct of Rose Hall
The MoBay STEP-UP Programme (Striving Towards Environmental Protection and Urban Preservation), launched in 2024 by the St. James Municipal Corporation, has remained a cornerstone of environmental stewardship in Montego Bay. By addressing illegal dumpsites, restoring infrastructure, creating safe zones for vendors, and advancing public education, the programme is fostering a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable city.
Volunteers represented a wide cross section of Montego Bay, including students from the University of the West Indies- Mona WJC, Cornwall College Cadets, John Rollins Success Primary, Mount Alvernia Preparatory and High School, and Heinz Simonitsch School. Tourism partners also played a strong role, with teams from the Playa Hotels & Resorts: Dreams Rose Hall and Hyatt Ziva & Zilara, Island Routes, Ocean Coral Springs, and Grand Decameron. Key government agencies such as the St. James Public Health Department and the National Solid Waste Management Authority joined hands to support the effort. The beach clean-up brought together residents from across the Rose Hall area, with enthusiastic participation from the communities of Edmund Ridge, Rosevale, Rhyne Park, and Spot Valley.
Volunteers from the St. James Public Health Services
The clean-up would not have been possible without the generous backing of sponsors including Sunshine Snacks, Hospiten, Howard Ward Foundation, MSS Sanitation and Cesspool Services Ltd, Caribbean Producers of Jamaica, National Supply, Wisynco, and Honey Bun.
Richard Burrowes, President of Rose Hall Developments Limited, expressed heartfelt gratitude: “We had over 150 volunteers and we are grateful for the support from our volunteers and the St. James Municipal Corporation through the MoBay Step Up Programme for partnering with us in this initiative. It’s important for our community to come together to fight against plastic pollution as plastics take hundreds of years to break down, damaging marine life and returning to us as harmful microplastics in our food chain.”
Richard Burrowes, President of Rose Hall Developments Limited, joins volunteers at the 2025 Rose Hall Beach and Road Clean-Up.
This year’s ICC event in Rose Hall demonstrated the power of collaboration. With every bag of trash collected, the community took a step forward in the global movement to #SeaTheChange.
