TT produces too much garbage

Port of Spain mayor Joel Martinez says TT is generating waste at an alarming rate, producing thousands of tonnes of garbage every month. The mayor said people have to be more careful about disposing garbage.

The mayor was speaking at the city corporation's launch of the Curbside Recycling project on Friday at City Hall, Knox Street, Port of Spain.

The corporation has partnered with the Solid Waste Management Co Ltd (SWMCOL) for this project– Eat, Sleep, Recycle, Repeat. The pilot phase will begin on April 15 for one month in Woodbrook between Carlos and Ana Streets, Tragarete Road and Ariapita Avenue.

Residents are asked to place their empty juice and milk cartons, aluminium cans, tetra packs, and plastic and glass bottles in clear bags and put them out on the side of the road on Wednesdays when the corporation's trucks will collect them.

"PoS has been inundated with garbage of various sorts amounting to thousands of tonnes of garbage per month, based on reports from our transport and cleansing department. We need the environment to be better cared for, find better ways of managing our waste. There are areas of PoS that the citizens can take pride in how they dispose of their waste, but there are also other areas that are required to do a better job."

Martinez said, over the years, citizens had developed habits that were not so complementary to the environment.

"PoS, being the capital of our nation, must be more welcoming to citizens and visitors to our city. This project will assist tremendously to rid the city of all unwanted waste and portray a clean environment for people to traverse freely. SWMCOL will have conducted training with public health inspectors, members of staff and members of the Woodbrook Association regarding this project.

Martinez asked residents and businesses operating within the pilot area to co-operate with the corporation and place the items out for pick up, after which they will be taken to SWMCOL's recycling plant.

"We cannot continue to do the same thing over and over expecting a different result. We have to value our city and our environment. We have to join with the rest of the world, which is a modern and developing world, and we have to fall in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for a better and safer environment. We have to also understand that the future of our nation requires us to recycle."

Permanent secretary at the Public Utilities Ministry Nicolette Duke said indiscriminate dumping of garbage contributed to flooding, vector-borne diseases and pollution of rivers and streams. She said it was necessary to manage indiscriminate dumping.

Duke said there must be capacity building and public awareness about the effect indiscriminate dumping had on the environment. She added that recycling must be made easy to encourage citizens with this drive.

Duke added there must also be the creation of legislative framework and the development of the recycling industry.