ROAD TOWN, British Virgin Islands —Four islands, 268 volunteers and more than 1,754 pounds of debris removed from the Territory’s coastlines in just four hours.
The figures from Green VI’s 2026 International Coastal Cleanup are being described as a powerful demonstration of what collective action can accomplish — while also highlighting the scale of the British Virgin Islands’ ongoing plastic waste problem.
On September 19, volunteers gathered in Trellis Bay, Anegada, Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke, joining communities around the world in efforts to remove marine debris and protect coastal environments.
The initiative forms part of Green VI’s work through PROMAR (Prevention of Marine Litter in the Caribbean Sea), a Caribbean-wide programme focused on tackling marine litter at its source through community action, education, partnerships and circular-economy solutions.
Residents, students, businesses, churches, civic organisations and government representatives worked alongside one another during the four-hour cleanup.
But the material collected also provided a sobering look at what continues to enter the BVI’s waste stream and environment.
Of the more than 1,754 pounds of debris collected, 819.88 pounds were recyclable materials — almost as much as the approximately 930 pounds of recyclable material typically collected across the entire Territory during a full day.
Volunteers also recovered 1,387 single-use plastic water bottles.
Green VI estimates that the bottles represent approximately $288 worth of bottled water, or roughly what one resident could spend on single-use bottled water over the course of a year.
For the organisation, however, the bottles represent more than an environmental cleanup statistic.
They are also a reminder of the connection between environmental protection and public health.
“Our ocean is the heartbeat of the Virgin Islands, and its health is directly connected to our own,” said Dylan Penn, Green VI Director of Operations.
“The best plastic waste is the waste we never create. Choosing to refill instead of reaching for another single-use bottle is one small action that protects our health, reduces waste and helps preserve the vibrant islands we want our children to inherit.”
Moving Beyond Recycling
The BVI has already made significant progress in recycling plastic bottles.
Since 2018, the Territory’s We Recycle programme has collected, baled and exported almost 14 million single-use plastic water bottles.
Green VI says recycling remains important for bottles that are already in circulation, but through PROMAR it is also encouraging residents to move further upstream — by reducing and refusing single-use plastics wherever possible.
One of the simplest places to begin, the organisation says, is with the everyday water bottle.
Plastic does not simply disappear after it is discarded. Sunlight, heat and physical wear can cause larger plastic items to break down into microplastics, which have been detected in water, food and human bodies.
Discarded containers can also collect standing water and create potential breeding sites for mosquitoes.
Green VI says these issues demonstrate why environmental health and human health cannot be treated as separate concerns.
Refuse, Refill and Rethink
The organisation is encouraging residents to refuse and refill — choosing reusable bottles whenever possible and preventing unnecessary plastic from entering the waste stream in the first place.
At the same time, Green VI is promoting a broader approach to waste through the PROMAR project, encouraging the Territory to view recyclable materials as resources rather than simply rubbish.
Recovering materials and keeping them circulating through a circular economy can create value while reducing the amount of waste that reaches coastlines, landfills and the wider environment.
The 2026 International Coastal Cleanup showed what can be achieved in just four hours when communities come together.
But Green VI says the greater impact will be measured by what happens after the cleanup is over.
Refuse what you don’t need. Refill what you can. Rethink plastic waste.
For more information about the We Recycle programme, recycling drop-off locations or the PROMAR initiative, visit Green VI’s website or follow the organisation on social media.