Plastic, glass, and metal

In SVG we all know the chronic problem among some who will throw away their litter right where they are walking without thinking. We hope this will disappear from our culture with a national initiative for more effective education of our people in this regard. To complain is one thing. But what is really needed is the addressing of these challenges by relevant authorities with effective strategies well thought through and executed.

The removal of white goods has been an important addition to cleaning up our homes, villages and towns. While the community groups have done well on some of our beaches and river ways to remove garbage, there are still more steps to take and concerns needing attention.

Our environment, including coasts and water ways are under threat not just by climate (changing or not), but mostly by us humans. We create waste and much of it is not biodegradable. For more effective disposal of these we cannot create landfills without thinking. Recycling is needed. And for this to occur efficiently, there is a need for the separation of garbage into categories.

When a household puts out their garbage on a weekly basis, it is usually a combination comprising largely of kitchen waste, plastic, metal and glass items. We are pretty sure the garbage trucks are not taking these to a place where each bag is sorted. So essentially, there is the creation of a situation which especially small island states like ourselves should have been more forward thinking about by now.

Segregating garbage allows a country to recycle more items, preventing them from ending up in landfills. This, in turn, reduces its overall impact on the environment. We commend the CWSA for their diligent and efficient work over the years.

This is a call on the relevant authorities to bring this addition to our treatment of waste in SVG. We should to be listed in the countries in the world especially islands which do this by now. In fact, SVG ought to be leading the way in the Caribbean in this arena. Paradise is not just a nice photo. A well-managed environment is key to the health of nature around us and ours as well.

Sheldon Bramble