Cashew Gardens Supports The Environment with EPIC Upcycling Centre
EPIC
WEDNESDAY 02 JULY 2025, PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO The Cashew Gardens Community Council launched its Upcycling Centre to the wider community and key stakeholders, on July 28th. The NGO is one of ten to access TT$150,000 in EPIC funding from Digicel Foundation and Shell Trinidad and Tobago. This initiative marks a significant step in enhancing local recycling efforts and promoting sustainable community development.
The Upcycling Centre will serve as a hub where collected plastics are shredded and compressed into durable plastic lumber. This material will be transformed into various products such as park benches, pallets, bins, and other commercial items, creating income-generating opportunities for the community and contributing to environmental sustainability. The project is being done in collaboration with Flying Tree Environmental Management group.
Highlighting the significance of the project, Digicel Foundation Board Director Guy Small stated, “This project skilfully addresses two of our most pressing societal challenges: environmental pollution and youth empowerment. It will raise awareness about plastic pollution within the community while improving waste collection and management.”
“The initiative we are celebrating today, the Cashew Gardens upcycling project is a clear example of how environmental responsibility, creativity, and community entrepreneurship can come together to create meaningful, lasting impact,” stated Anesha Sadar, GM Business Transformation, Shell Trinidad, and Tobago. “The Cashew Gardens Community Council is proof that when we invest in community-based organizations, we’re providing communities with the tools to pivot, grow, and scale their impact. This upcycling project is a support system for local entrepreneurship, and a blueprint for what sustainability looks like in practice.”
Rosyln George, Director of Cashew Gardens Community Council, expressed gratitude for the support, saying, “When corporate sponsors like Shell Trinidad and Tobago and Digicel Foundation invest in communities like ours, it shows we are not alone. Their support affirms our vision, and we are truly grateful.”
The Cashew Gardens community continues to position itself as a model for sustainable development. The community group also launched its Farmers’ Market on the same day, an initiative supported by the UNDP Global Environmental Facility Small Grants Programme, Republic Bank’s Make a Difference initiative, and Habitat for Humanity.
In his key address, Minister of Housing and Urban Development and MP for Caroni Centra, Honourable David Lee made a plea for continued private sector support for community groups like Cashew Gardens. ‘No matter which administration is in power, these are the types of communities that will need our support. They are driven by leaders and visionaries, so let’s continue to support their efforts.”
Last year, Digicel Foundation and Shell Trinidad and Tobago partnered to fund the EPIC program — Extraordinary Projects Impacting Communities — with a combined investment of TT$1.4 million. Through this initiative, ten community groups received grants of up to TT$150,000 to implement projects across themes such as Environment, Education, Technology, and Renewable Energy. Over the past nine years, EPIC has supported 160 projects impacting more than 82,000 people in Trinidad and Tobago, with an overall investment of nearly TT$60 million.