Sponsored by South Coast Horizon & Scooteroo

  We are proud to celebrate the creativity and thoughtfulness of young writers in Antigua & Barbuda through our Global Recycling Day Essay Writing Competition. This year, we received inspiring submissions from students who shared their ideas about protecting our islands, caring for our environment, and imagining a better future for our communities. We are delighted to announce that Kaelem Gardner is the winner of the 8–12 category. His essay stood out to our judges for its clear structure, creative thinking, and practical ideas for addressing one of the most important environmental challenges facing island nations: plastic waste. Kaelem’s essay, Plastic With a Purpose: A New Idea for Antigua & Barbuda, explores how plastic waste could be turned into useful community resources while encouraging citizens to participate in keeping the island clean. Through thoughtful research and imaginative thinking, he proposes a creative “Plastic Points” system that would reward people for collecting plastic while turning recycled materials into community infrastructure like benches, bus stops, and picnic tables.  We are proud to share his winning essay below:  

Plastic With a Purpose: A New Idea for Antigua & Barbuda

By Kaelem Gardner, Christian Union Pre & Junior Academy – Winner, 8-12 Essay Writing Category Plastic waste is a big problem in many countries, including Antigua & Barbuda. Because our island is small, plastic can quickly end up on the beach or in the sea. This can harm animals and make our island look dirty. Since tourism is important to us, that’s a serious problem. I think instead of treating plastic like garbage, we should find creative ways to reuse it. A country with a smart solution is the Netherlands. They don’t just recycle plastic in the normal way. They actually turn it into things like roads and outdoor furniture. The plastic is made into strong materials that last a long time. They also test their ideas in small areas first to make sure everything works before doing it across the country. Antigua & Barbuda could use an idea like this in our own way. We could create something called “The Plastic Points.” People could bring clean plastic, such as bottles and containers, to different collection spots around the island. When they bring plastic, they earn points. The points they earn could be used for school supplies, bus fares, or small discounts at local shops. This would give people a reason to collect plastic because it would actually be worth something. Another idea is to use the plastic we collect to make things our community can use. It could become park benches, bus stops, school picnic tables, or parts of beach walkways. Each one could have a small sign that says it was made from recycled plastic. This would show people that their hard work really made a difference. This idea is not only about cleaning up plastic. It helps the environment, creates jobs, and encourages young people to help. It would also keep Antigua clean and beautiful for everyone. Plastic waste does not have to stay a problem. If we work as a team and come up with smart ideas, Antigua & Barbuda can turn plastic into something good and show other islands what is possible.   Congratulations to Kaelem for his thoughtful contribution and for inspiring us all to think creatively about protecting our beautiful islands. We would like to thank all students, teachers, and schools who participated in this year’s competition. We look forward to continuing to encourage young voices and ideas that help shape a better future for Antigua & Barbuda. We would also like to thank our Prize Sponsors, South Coast Horizon and Scooteroo for sponsoring Kaelem’s prizes.