What If Carnival Changed the Way We Managed Waste?

byJoshuanette Francis

Founder and President, Good Humans 268 Inc.

What if every Carnival event left behind more opportunity than garbage? What if every plastic bottle, aluminum can, and glass bottle was seen as a resource instead of rubbish? And what if the biggest celebration in Antigua and Barbuda also became the country’s biggest demonstration of environmental responsibility?

Carnival has always been about culture, music, creativity, and community. But it also leaves behind thousands upon thousands of recyclable materials. The question is not whether waste is produced. The real question is this: what are we choosing to do with it? Do we continue sending valuable materials to the landfill year after year, or do we finally decide that there is a better way?

This Carnival, our organization had the privilege of working alongside Akhimo Group Inc. at De Breakfast Fête. We were invited not simply to assist with cleaning after the event but to demonstrate what responsible waste management can look like when recycling is built into the event itself. For years, we have submitted proposals to event promoters, the Antigua and Barbuda Festivals Commission, and government agencies advocating for one simple principle: separate waste at the source. If recyclable materials are separated where they are generated, they are far more likely to be recovered, recycled, and transformed into something useful.

The work did not end when the music stopped. Long after patrons went home, our team remained on the ground. We spent more than twenty-eight hours sorting and separating recyclable materials. Over twelve hours on Sunday. Another ten hours on Monday. Additional hours on Tuesday completing the final sorting. Was it exhausting? Absolutely. Was it worth it? Without question.

The numbers tell an incredible story. We recovered approximately 19,200 plastic bottles, more than 11,600 aluminum cans, and over 3,000 glass bottles. Think about that for a moment. More than 33,000 recyclable items were prevented from entering our landfill from just one event. Now imagine what those numbers would look like if every major Carnival event had a dedicated Green Team. Imagine the impact if every fête, every parade, every concert, and every village celebration committed to separating recyclable materials before they became mixed with general waste.

Where will these materials go? The plastic bottles and aluminum cans will be transported to the Antigua and Barbuda Waste Recycling Corporation before eventually being exported for recycling. They will become new products instead of occupying landfill space for decades. Isn’t that a better investment than burying materials that still have value?

Glass remains one of our greatest opportunities. Instead of treating glass bottles as waste, why not transform them into a resource? Around the world, glass crushing machines convert bottles into sand that can be used in construction, landscaping, drainage, and other practical applications. Our organization is actively exploring partnerships to acquire this technology because we believe Antigua and Barbuda can lead the way in innovative recycling. Why should we continue importing solutions when we can create our own?

Our experience at Breakfast Fête reinforced something we have believed for years. Waste management should not begin after an event finishes. It should begin before the first patron walks through the gate. Every promoter should include Green Teams alongside their traditional cleaning crews. Every band should have staff responsible for recycling. Every food vendor should separate recyclable materials. Every event should have clearly marked collection stations. Isn’t prevention always easier than cleanup?

This vision extends beyond Carnival. Why stop at festivals? Why not businesses? Why not schools? Why not government offices, churches, sporting events, and households? If we truly want to reduce pressure on our landfill, shouldn’t recycling become part of everyday life instead of something we think about only after large events?

Waste management is not only about protecting the environment. It is about creating opportunity. Every sorting station requires workers. Every recycling programme creates employment. Every collection route supports drivers and logistics teams. Every new recycling initiative creates possibilities for entrepreneurship and innovation. How many meaningful jobs could be created if we treated waste as an economic resource instead of an expensive problem?

Carnival also reminded us that recycling can inspire creativity. Working with Menace XL, we helped construct a giant teddy bear made from approximately 2,400 plastic bottles. Thousands of people stopped to admire it. Children took photographs beside it. Adults asked questions about it. The sculpture proved something important: the value of a material depends entirely on how we choose to see it. Could yesterday’s bottle become tomorrow’s artwork? Could today’s waste become tomorrow’s business?

As Antigua and Barbuda approaches its 70th anniversary of Independence in 2027, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine what national celebration looks like. Should we celebrate this historic milestone using the same waste management practices we have relied on for decades? Or should we set a new standard for sustainability that future generations will be proud of?

Our hope is simple. Beginning in 2027, Green Teams become standard at major events. Source separation becomes the norm. Recycling infrastructure expands. Partnerships grow stronger. More materials are diverted from the landfill, more jobs are created, and more people begin to understand that waste is not the end of a product’s story.

The future of waste management does not begin with machines. It begins with a decision. A decision to think differently. A decision to act differently. A decision to recognize that every bottle, every can, and every piece of glass represents an opportunity. The question is no longer whether Antigua and Barbuda can change. The real question is: are we ready to make that change together?

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