The Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation (DSWMC) is entering a new era of waste management, according to its general manager, Bristol Lawrence.
Lawrence said at an official project completion ceremony on Friday that with the assistance of the Japanese government, the DSWMC has procured a compactor truck which will facilitate recycling waste material on the island.
“It is all well and good to ask residents to separate their waste but at the end of the day if it is being collected in the same truck with the regular waste it would really defeat the purpose. With this project the corporation is now in a better position to enhance the efficiency of recyclable waste collection,” he stated.
According to him, the separation of waste at the source is critical to the entire success of this process.
“Once the recyclable waste is collected, it will be taken to the landfill where it will be further separated. Where the cans will form part of the metallic waste, the glass will be separated by colors for shipment and the plastic bottle will be separated for shipment overseas,” he said
Japanese Deputy Head of Mission, Hirofumi Murabayashi, pointed out that the project is being funded under the Japan Grant Assistance for Grass Roots Human Security Projects to the tune of USD $70, 425.00.
“A lot of effort has gone into the completion of this project and I am truly pleased to be a part of the completion ceremony today,” he said.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Helen Royer, said that despite being faced with several challenges, the completion of this project highlights yet another landmark occasion for the DSWMC.
“The challenge of inadequate trucks for the collection of waste and occasional breakdown of trucks has impacted the effective collection of waste. Therefore, this timely grant assistance by the Embassy of Japan in Trinidad will assist in improving the service and also allow the corporation to collect and recycle waste from the Atlantic side of Dominica stretching from Penville in the north east to Point Milart in the south east,” she explained.
It is a very good idea to recycle waste.I think the Health Department and Dominica on a whole should consider this seriously…..SAVE OUR PLANET EARTH!!!!!!!!!
I hear skerrit recycling politicians…