THA holds dry run at recycling depot

The Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and the Environment hosted a dry run on Monday ahead of the launch of Tobago's first material recovery depot.

Secretary of the division Kwesi Des Vignes told Newsday the pilot project will be officially launched within a week at the Tobago Cold Storage and Warehouse Facility, Shaw Park

At last week's Executive Council media briefing Des Vignes said this project will be a historical moment for Tobago.

He said, "We have met the mandate and we can now say recycling will begin in Tobago. The materials we are looking at are plastic bottles, cups and aluminium cans."

He said the private-public partnership will last for one year and involved the DIQE, the Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development and Recycling Waste and Logistics Ltd, based in Trinidad.

Recycling Waste and Logistics will be leading the project.

"This is going to be a red-letter day in Tobago. For many years we have spoken about recycling and the challenges of consumerism and plastic waste in Tobago...I'm really proud that the division has been able to achieve this," Des Vignes said.

The secretary said the initiative was discussed last year and he was pleased to see it come to fruition.

"This was one of the strong recommendations out of our first environment partnership conference in June last year. Our partners, all stakeholders said recycling must be one of the mandates of the THA and for Tobago, it is highly important."

In the first phase of rolling out the project, recycling and an education programme will begin in the Castara, Charlotteville and Buccoo villages.

"The idea is to have each person in the community sensitised, separating their plastics and aluminium, That public education is important for us," Des Vignes said.

"Look out in your community for the bins, look out in the media for the information."