…EPA Director talks up ‘circular economy’
The global community converged to observe World Environment Day under the theme ‘Ending Plastic Pollution’ on June 5, 2025, and, in Guyana, a month-long series of activities has been embarked on, aimed at curbing plastic waste products being disposed of wantonly in the community.
The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in a recent interview, pointed out that the emphasis on ending plastic pollution predates this 2025 theme and, in fact, goes back to Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030, launched at the end of 2022/early 2023, which speaks to a policy of the “circular economy”.
A circular economy is a model of resource management that aims to minimise waste and maximise the lifespan of products and materials. It shifts away from the traditional use-and-dispose practice and, instead, emphasises reuse, repair, remanufacturing, repurposing, and recycling.
Environmental impact
This approach, Mr Parsram explained, reduces environmental impact, conserves resources, and even creates new economic opportunities.
“That policy has catapulted the EPA in going forward, in terms of how we address waste in general,” said Mr Parsram. “And it’s a simple thing, you know; we can design out waste from what we do and what we produce. Waste isn’t a thing, and it shouldn’t be a thing. There’s value in every product that we develop.”
He said this is the essence of the circular economy – a principle that spans from “cradle to cradle” rather than from “cradle to the grave”, thereby moving away from the “take, make and dispose or pollute” cycle.
“We can take, make, reuse, recycle and keep it in perpetuity. For example, in the biological cycle, you can have products, like your shoe soles, for example. You can make it with products that, eventually, degrade and go back to nature.
“There’s also what you call a technical cycle. You make a washing machine or chair. How can the producers and manufacturers design these products so that they don’t get disposed of?
“The idea is that if your washing machine is beyond repair, you don’t just throw it away. You perhaps can return it to the producer or to the manufacturer, who can then repurpose, redo, or refix it and then put it back out in the market so that those things can be kept in perpetuity. So, this is where we’re going. We’re promoting the circular economy all around,” the executive director said.
Mr Parsram said the EPA is taking a very pointed and progressive approach to do this type of thinking and practice. “We can’t do it alone. We need the help of all stakeholders: the children, the businesses, our government agencies, and all citizens as a whole,” he said.
“So, you’ll see more of us going through this campaign. You’ll see us on the sea walls; you’ll see us ramp up our efforts aimed at education awareness, but you’ll see us boost our efforts for enforcement as well.”
Figure 2. EPA’s Green Theatre Production 2025, at the National Culture Centre (Education and Awareness about the Effects of Plastic Pollution).
Negative attitude
Mr Parsram said he has observed that, in many instances, people demonstrate very negative attitudes and behaviour toward the environment, particularly how they treat Guyana’s canals, rivers, and oceans.
“We discard plastic; we discard garbage in general. And so, the EPA at this juncture decided that enough is enough. We need to take a stance and educate people, strengthen our awareness campaigns, and improve our enforcement efforts, as well as collaborate with key agencies and all citizens.
“Plastic itself is not the problem. It is how we dispose of and treat garbage that has led to this crisis of plastic pollution,” he stated.
Mr Parsram noted that the EPA is spearheading efforts to change public attitudes, starting with actions to eradicate littering at the seawalls and extending to broader national behavioural shifts. He said the EPA is building a platform to instil environmental values in young people, who, in turn, will influence their families and communities.
“Plastic harms the environment, the fishes, the marine mammals, and the wildlife in general – and it looks terrible as well,” Mr Parsram said. “So, I ask that everyone join us. Let’s change our attitude toward the environment. Let’s look out for each other. Let’s end plastic pollution now.”
