Small business enterprises in the Eastern Caribbean are being given the opportunity to benefit from a community-driven action project on plastic pollution that has been launched under the “Closing the Caribbean Plastic Tap” initiative.
The Sustainable Small Grants Programme (SSGP) will provide targeted financial and technical support to organisations working to reduce plastic waste and advance circular economy solutions in Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The programme is designed to empower micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), community-based organizations (CBOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), cooperatives, associations, schools, and informal groups with demonstrated community engagement to implement practical, scalable interventions that reduce plastic leakage into the environment.
It is being implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Regional Office for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean (ORMACC), with support from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI).
According to the IUCN, a total of EUR400,000 (One Euro=US$1.29 cents) will be made available to fund locally led projects that address plastic waste through upstream prevention and midstream circularity approaches.
Each participating country is allocated up to EUR 80,000, with individual grants ranging from EUR 30,000 to EUR 80,000.
The programme forms part of a broader regional effort to reduce plastic pollution at its source by supporting improvements in waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and sustainable material alternatives.
Projects funded under the SSGP will be expected to demonstrate measurable environmental and socio-economic impact, contributing to national priorities and global commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). (CMC)
