Le Hunte says Beverage Container Bill before year’s end

Minister of Public Utlities Robert Le Hunte. PHOTO BY JEFF K MAYERS.
Minister of Public Utlities Robert Le Hunte. PHOTO BY JEFF K MAYERS.

Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte has described the Beverage Container Act as an essential component in this country’s environmental drive as this would place a monetary value on plastic bottles.

“What the Beverage Container Act is attempting to do is to try to put a value on the bottles and therefore we will expect then that together with a few legislations allowing the people who are generating and manufacturing the waste to be the ones that are finally responsible for dealing with it, those plastic bottles.”

Speaking to reporters following the San Fernando City Corporation’s Curbside recycling initiative launch at the San Fernando Hill Monday, Le Hunte said while the Litter Act had its part to play, the Beverage Container Act would place responsibility on the manufacturers and importers of plastic bottles to play their part in maintaining a clean environment.

“We are working feverishly to bring the Beverage Container Bill, this is where you try to put a monetary value on these plastic bottles. When you go around right now you do not see Carib bottles for example on the streets because people are aware that if you take up a Carib bottle, you could carry it back and you would be able to get a particular refund. In essence that is what the Beverage Container Act is attempting to do, to try to put a value on the bottles.”

He said this legislation, together with the EMA waste rules would be the pillar on which the country would be able to rid the environment of plastic bottles.

However he said this required consultation with the manufacturers and importers but noted that government was committed to bringing the legislation by year’s end.

“I have given myself a deadline to the end of the year, it requires some degree of consultation because you are actually going to be placing some responsibility on the manufacturers and the distributors, that’s the people who bring in plastic bottles into the country and therefore we want to have some consultation with them.”

Le Hunte also praised the southern city for being the first city to initiate the curb side recycling initiative saying two districts - Gulf View and Embacadere would participate in the 6 month pilot project.

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