EU encourages more local recycling in 2021

The European Union (EU) bagged over 1,300 pounds of glass, plastic and other garbage on Friday during its annual beach clean-up at the Carenage Fishing Centre.

The clean-up was done with help from officials at the Ministry of Planning and Development and the National Trust. Volunteers started collecting items across the beach at 8 am. After an hour, Newsday was told, the team had gathered 56 bags of plastic bottles.

Charge d'Affaires Sanjin Soldatic told Newsday a major focus of the EU for 2021 is to encourage more recycling. He said, “I have heard from your Public Utilities Minister the other day that 80 per cent of waste in TT is recyclable. We are very happy we were able to offer our support to national authorities to address this issue.

“What we would like to promote is a more circular economy and a less linear economy. 'Linear economy' meaning take it (recyclables), make it and drop it. What we would like to see from this is plastic we can recycle and get new products that we can use. With this, we are creating more job opportunities. And we are creating a product that we can sell.

"So circular economy is better than a linear one. And every economy that turns into green follows and appreciates nature. I think it's this type of economy is the economy of the future.”

The EU will host a second beach clean-up in September to commemorate Climate Diplomacy Week from September 24-October 6.

The Diego Martin Regional Corporation removed the plastic and other miscellaneous items and Carib Glass will recycle the glass bottles collected in the clean-up.