Persistent Organic Pollutants Communications Toolkit

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are a group of highly mobile and toxic chemicals, but their universal nature and harmful health effects are generally unknown to the wider public. To this end, a Communications Strategy is being developed to raise awareness on these deleterious chemicals. This forms part of an eight (8) country regional project entitled, "Development and Implementation of a Sustainable Management Mechanism for POPs in the Caribbean".

Group photograph of key stakeholders and representatives from POP's affiliated sectors

Trinidad and Tobago as one of the project countries held a consultation on October 31, 2019 at the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business to gain preliminary feedback on some of the communications materials developed from key stakeholders in POPs affiliated sectors. Based on the useful input provided, this, along with the feedback from the other seven (7) project countries is being used to refine the resources to ensure they meet the objectives.

As part of the implementation process the Trinidad and Tobago National Project Working Committee (PWC), which is chaired by the Ministry of Planning and Development, decided to conduct a national Household Chemicals and Waste Survey. This survey was aimed at gauging the general level of awareness about POPs, and was used as a baseline for comparisons post strategy implementation. There were a total of 1,172 respondents nationwide during the survey period January 7, 2020 to February 21, 2020. The statistics are being used to formulate the best strategy for dissemination of the suite of communications products, as the PWC seeks to ensure the public is well informed on how to 'Stop the POPs'!

Photograph of participants during a consultation meeting.