Rain set the tone, but it never set the limits. At Novar Beach, Mahaicony, volunteers pushed forward under the PROMAR Project through the University of Guyana Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences, executing a full beach clean-up and marine litter sampling despite gloomy weather conditions.

With strong support from the volunteers of the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN), the University of Guyana Geographical Society and members of the Novar community, the team remained fully engaged removing waste and collecting valuable data. This effort reinforces a clear standard; environmental responsibility is not conditional; it is driven by commitment.

In total, over 209 kg of litter was collected. The waste was predominantly linked to recreational activities and household disposal, with single-use containers, food packaging, beer bottles and cans and plastic bottles making up the majority of items recovered.

But this issue is not distant, it is hitting home. As Guyana enters the rainy season, many of us are already seeing flooded yards, clogged drains and water creeping into our homes. Much of this is made worse by improper waste disposal. When garbage is left in open areas or waterways, the rain carries it straight to our trenches and rivers.

This doesn’t just affect the environment, it affects people. Floodwaters mixed with waste can bring disease into our communities, contaminate water sources and create unsafe living conditions for families and children. Blocked drains increase flooding, damaging homes and livelihoods. At the same time, our mangrove ecosystems, which naturally protect us from rising waters and coastal erosion, are being choked by the very waste we discard.

The reality is urgent: what we throw away does not go away, it comes back to us, especially in the rainy season. The impacts we are seeing now will only worsen if we do not change our actions. Proper waste disposal, community responsibility and sustained clean-up efforts are not optional, they are necessary to protect our health, our homes and our future.