City Hall has instituted a pilot programme to determine whether citizens would adhere to responsible solid waste disposal.
Last week, a two-compartment receptacle was installed outside City Hall with one section for tins and bottles and the other for paper. The recycling style bin was a part of a one-week pilot, Town Clerk Royston King said.
If after the week, the response from citizens is positive, King said, the city would engage in installing the receptacles around town at strategic points.
King told Stabroek News, “We need a better solid waste management system in the city. We couldn’t have depended on land filling alone and incineration alone we need an integrated system because of the kind of waste we generate in the city.”
He added that the project “is a part of a wider programme to usher in what we would like to call an integrated waste management system. Not only land filling [but] we would look at but incineration the question of reusing and recycling…”
A lot of waste from the market, he pointed out, can be converted into animal food and “really there is nothing like waste,” it was just a matter of finding the right needs for it.
King said that after the waste is separated it, they would be looking to at the possibilities of recycling. He said they are working on a plan at the Princes Street location to facilitate the next stage. He explained that as part of this initiative, composting was being encouraged.
King said schools, such as the Agricola Primary, were being engaged to teach students the composting process. With knowledge of the process, students would be equipped with skills and be able to start up mini composting projects at home which would lead to a better environment, he added.
However, King said he is encouraging Corporate Guyana to get on board and be a part of the initiative. He explained that the cost of one of the two-compartment receptacles is about $40,000. “Those who support would get brand and corporate visibility. They should look at it as a corporate responsibility and making a contribution to environmental health,” he said.
When asked if City Hall was partnering with any business entity to undertake the project, King responded in the negative. He told Stabroek News, “We had a guy approach us some years ago but he is no longer around.
“We are hoping that with this initiative, with this renewed energy that we will get people showing interest and come on board,” he said.
Solid waste remains one of the worrying problems in the city despite regular cleaning. King said City Hall is very conscious that they need an integrated system to manage waste disposal. “If we have composting, reusing and recycling, I think we would be able to reduce the amount of litter in the city,” he stated.
