Jamaican environmentalist Michael McCarthy works ‘where others play’

“I work where others play, and it is the greatest job in the world because the ocean was never just a career choice for me; it is where I feel most alive,” environmentalist Michael McCarthy, managing director of Clean Harbors Jamaica Limited, told Caribbean Life on Friday, May 29.

For the past eight years, in his capacity as the head of one of Jamaica’s leading marine waste management companies, McCarthy said he has had his battles with skeptical bankers, an often difficult and resistant public, and devastating natural disasters that have threatened to undo all that he has striven to accomplish.

Yet, he said his steadfast belief in himself, the lessons he learned from his hardworking parents and his determination to leave the planet in a better condition than he found it have reinforced his drive and passion to continue along that path.

“At the end of the day, seeing cleaner waterways, healthier coastlines, and tangible environmental change is what continues to motivate me,” he said. “Knowing that our efforts are contributing to a better future for Jamaica and future generations is far greater than any negativity that may exist around the journey.”

Born in Kingston, the Jamaican capital, 39 years ago, the young Michael attended Ardenne High School, where he gravitated toward physics, literature and art.

He said his father, Fernando, was an auto electrical engineer and his mother, Angela, was a senior public health nurse.

McCarthy said his parents had a “profound influence” on him.

“My dad was a strict disciplinarian, and my mom always taught me that anything worth doing was worth doing well,” he said. “Their teachings, discipline and guidance kept me grounded and helped steer me away from trouble throughout my younger years.

“So, I had a great foundation and was given the latitude to decide what I would become,” he added.

McCarthy said Clean Harbors Jamaica Limited was founded because of his lifelong fascination with the environment and the ocean.

After leaving high school, McCarthy said he spent a few years working with his uncle, Solomon, in his automotive business before moving to the Jamaica Maritime Institute, where he pursued a degree in nautical sciences.

He said he co-founded Clean Harbors Jamaica Limited with like-minded individuals “out of a joint need” to share their passion for marine life preservation.

“Having traveled extensively and experiencing firsthand what other countries were doing to protect and preserve their coastlines and waterways, we realized that implementing initiatives of that nature here in Jamaica was, quite frankly, a no-brainer,” he said. “What started as a shared vision quickly evolved into a mission — to create meaningful change in how we protect our harbors, coastlines and waterways, while proving that Jamaica could stand at the forefront of environmental innovation in the Caribbean.”

McCarthy said raising capital proved to be “immensely challenging” for the new organization.

He said the banking sector was reluctant to recognize the value of maritime assets. Therefore, he said funding for the organization “proved hard to come by.”

But McCarthy said he and his business partners persevered.

“We continued building through partnerships, innovation, and an unwavering belief in both our vision and the importance of the work we were doing for Jamaica’s marine environment,” he said.

Today, McCarthy said Clean Harbors Jamaica Limited operates primarily as a marine waste management company that focuses on ship-generated waste, although the company offers a wide range of other marine services.

In 2025, he said the National Solid Waste Management Authority formally acknowledged and appointed Clean Harbors Jamaica as its operator for marine waste management through the signing of a joint memorandum of understanding (MOU).

McCarthy said the purpose is to facilitate the service itself, and to ensure that the governance, environmental compliance and operational standards surrounding marine waste disposal were properly enforced and maintained at the highest level.

He said Clean Harbors Jamaica Limited has also received recognition, approval and operational support from several of Jamaica’s leading regulatory and maritime bodies, including the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, the National Environment and Planning Agency and the Port Authority of Jamaica.

But he said Clean Harbors Jamaica is perhaps best known for its participation in a major international initiative, the Kingston Harbor Cleanup Project, an alliance with funders The Ocean Cleanup and the GraceKennedy Foundation.

According to McCarthy, it started with a chance meeting with CEO of the GraceKennedy Foundation, Caroline Mahfood.

“Caroline is, without question, a phenomenal woman and an exceptional human being,” he said. “In 2019, I attended her annual lecture, which, that year, was on the Kingston Harbor.

“And it proved to be a decision that, to this day, I still consider one of the best decisions I have ever made because that meeting became the catalyst for everything that followed,” McCarthy added.

He said Mahfood also shared his dream of a cleaner, pollution-free Kingston Harbor.

“Soon afterwards, we were introduced virtually to The Ocean Cleanup team from the Netherlands, who was looking for a Caribbean project to invest in,” McCarthy said. “And the rest, as they say, is history.”

He said Clean Harbors Jamaica Limited is responsible for maintaining the project through the placement and management of devices known as interceptors, along with other technology provided through The Ocean Cleanup, that are deployed at some of the largest gullies leading into the harbor.

McCarthy said the interceptors are essentially large “strainers” that have so far prevented nearly 6 million pounds of additional waste from being released into the harbor.

Unfortunately, he said some of the interceptors sustained damage during Hurricane Melissa last year.

“Watching that happen was genuinely heartbreaking,” McCarthy said. “After dedicating so much time, energy and sacrifice toward cleaning and protecting the waterways, seeing pollution escape into the harbor due to forces beyond our control was difficult to process emotionally.

“At the same time, experiences like those have only strengthened our resolve,” he added. “They have reinforced our determination to continue improving our barrier systems, strengthening our deployment strategies and advancing the technology being used across the Kingston Harbor Cleanup Project.”

McCarthy said he will join Caroline Mahfood and Prof. Mona Webber, James Moss Solomon Senior Chair in the environment at the University of the West Indies, as presenters for the 36th annual GraceKennedy Foundation Lecture on June 5, World Environment Day.

Titled “The Kingston Harbor Cleanup Project — From Vision to Reality,” McCarthy said the lecture will explore how strategic partnerships, innovative technology and scientific expertise are helping to drive the initiative aimed at reducing the pollution entering Kingston Harbor.

As for the future, McCarthy said the possibilities are “endless” for Clean Harbors Jamaica Limited.

“Our vision extends far beyond Jamaica’s shores,” he said. “Over the next decade, we intend not only to fully realize our ambition of becoming the country’s premier marine waste management provider, but also to expand our expertise and services throughout the wider Caribbean.

“The goal is for CHJ (Clean Harbors Jamaica) to become a trusted regional partner capable of supporting neighboring Caribbean nations that seek guidance, operational support, and innovative environmental solutions,” he added. “We believe that the knowledge, experience, and systems we are building today can help shape a cleaner, more sustainable future not just for Jamaica, but for the Caribbean as a whole.”