Plastikeep founder: Government owes us money

Founder of recycling NGO Plastikeep Rosanna Farmer in insisting the Government owes the company money for 24 months and she is seeking a meeting with all stakeholders.

Due to lack of funding and mounting debts, Farmer had begun removing Plastikeep’s recycling bins on December 1 as she began to shut down. However the Planning Ministry issued a release stating the bins were government’s property and should not be removed. In a separate release, the ministry said it has not given up on Plastikeep, was awaiting a decision by the Green Fund Advisory Committee and it has fulfilled all of its contractual obligations to Plastikeep.

Farmer, in a telephone interview yesterday, said she had replaced the three bins that had been removed and continued operations for December thanks to Massy continuing to pay for the trucks and a donation by some elderly citizens which covered the rent and utilities for the month.

She said, however, she has still heard nothing from the Government, she cannot continue to incur debts and, without funding, will have to pull all bins and shut-down in January. Farmer said she has written the Green Fund in November and December asking for a meeting and is still awaiting a response.

“Plastikeep needs to have a meeting with government and all stakeholders to see what everyone’s agenda is and plan how we are moving forward.”

Farmer stressed Plastikeep was a pilot project to determine whether Trinidad was ready to recycle or not and it is clear that people are ready. She said she has no problem handing the project over to government and being phased out but it needs to be done properly.

“We are not here to hinder but here to help.”

She said Plastikeep was not meant to stay forever and was just a precursor which identified plastic as the most problematic for wastage.

Planning Minister Camille Robinson-Regis previously informed Newsday that from January 2010 to December 2015 Plastikeep received $10,679,684 in three tranches and funding was further extended to March 31, 2016.