Sip Sustainably - Sea the Change

Campaign with NHCS and LAKE Health and Wellbeing

On World Ocean Day (June 8th 2025), Blue Conscience, Lake Health and Wellbeing and the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society launched a new campaign ‘Sip Sustainably - Sea the Change’, aimed to raise awareness on the harmful effects of plastic-bottled sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) on both human health and the marine ecosystem. 

In St. Kitts and Nevis, plastic beverage bottles are the most collected item during coastal clean-ups, according to the Ocean Conservancy’s 2022 International Coastal Cleanup Report. Plastic waste that ends up in the ocean pose a serious threat because it:

• Harms marine wildlife by being mistaken for food, causing blockages or starvation, leading to death 

• Destroys habitats, especially coral reefs by smothering the corals and attracting potential pathogenic bacteria

• Significantly contributes to microplastic pollution, which affects both marine life and human health as these particles make their way into the seafood we consume.

Through this campaign, we encouraged the public to “Sip Sustainably” by ditching plastic-bottled drinks and adopt reusable water bottles to reduce plastic waste. To highlight the environmental impact of our beverage choices, we held five ‘1-hour-power beach clean-ups’ over the course of 3 months, at one location in St. Kitts and one in Nevis. Each time, volunteers collected ocean plastic waste and recorded data, specifically on plastic bottle pollution, here is a summary of our findings:

●  Total number of volunteers = 47 

●  Total weight of trash removed = 499 pounds

●  Total amount of plastic bottles = 1245

●  Plastic bottles removed were an average of 14% of all waste collected

On 14th August, we hosted a panel discussion at the Malcolm Guishard Recreational Park in Nevis. 

This event was a public dialogue event featuring health professionals, environmental experts, and advocates, designed to build awareness and drive policy discussions around SSBs and plastic waste in St Kitts and Nevis. 

We also called on policymakers to adopt evidence-based policies that reduce the public’s consumption of SSBs and reduce the plastic waste they generate.

We also took the opportunity to tour the St. Kitts Recycling Facility. 

This was an eye-opening experience and provided a very impactful visualisation of the amount of plastic waste generated by plastic bottles alone. We learnt that over 500,000 pounds of plastic bottle waste has been collected over the last 4 years in St. Kitts, which is only a small fraction when compared to all plastic bottles not being recycled or not disposed properly. This visit was a powerful reminder of the urgent action needed to reduce plastic waste through effective policies and through the choices we all make every day.

Click here for a comprehensive report of the campaign

CampaignSummarySept2025.docx.pdf

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