The management of solid waste in Jamaica, in particular the collection of garbage has been a perennial public concern despite the significant expenditure of public funds over the years. Over the period 2016-17 to 2020-21, approximately $32 billion was allocated for solid waste management, with more than half ($17.5 billion) disbursed from the collections of property tax. Complaints from citizens include the poor quality of service provided relative to that expected, the pileup of garbage in communities and along roadways and the threat to the environment and public health. Issues relating to inefficient waste collection and improper disposal are among several factors that informed the development of a National Solid Waste Management (NSWM) Policy in 2000, and the passing of the NSWM Act in 2001.

Vision 2030 Jamaica National Development Plan (NDP), published in 2009, acknowledged the range of issues related to solid waste management, and articulated a comprehensive National Strategy to ‘manage all forms of waste effectively’ in achieving National Outcome No. 13 “Sustainable Management and Use of Environment and Natural Resource’. The agencies responsible for implementing the related strategy actions to address the problems affecting solid waste management were outlined in the Vision 2030 NDP and the Government’s Medium-Term Socio-Economic Framework (MTF).