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  • 1 year ago
The Solid Waste Management Company Limited, SWMCOL is expected to have more power in the future concerning waste management.


The announcement comes with the government's launch of a three-part policy framework, designed to better manage waste towards more sustainability.


Alicia Boucher has the details.
Transcript
00:00Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzalez says there is a lot to do where managing the country's waste is concerned,
00:06as mismanagement continues to have serious impact on the environment, resulting in flooding,
00:12water shortfalls due to poor quality, littered coastal areas, etc.
00:17He says based on a study, this country produces 800,000 tons of waste annually, of which 75% is recyclable.
00:26More than that, the minister states that 80 million in taxpayer dollars is spent on landfill management annually,
00:32which he believes should not be the case.
00:35He says there are many opportunities to be had from proper waste management.
00:39To generate income, create employment opportunities for some of our unskilled, unskilled persons in communities all over Trinidad and Tobago.
00:52We should not be spending $80 million on the issue of waste management in Trinidad and Tobago.
01:00As a matter of fact, we can earn over $80 million that can go towards development for the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
01:12In this regard, three policies have been put forward.
01:15They are the 2024 National Solid Waste Management Policy for Trinidad and Tobago,
01:20the National Recycling Policy, and the Beverage Container Recycling Policy.
01:25Now that a policy framework has been laid, the next step is setting up the legislative framework
01:30that would allow SWIM Call to steer the course forward under three policies.
01:35In addition to that, we are transitioning SWIM Call from a statutory agency to a statutory authority
01:43with the necessary legislative teeth to be able to implement those policies
01:49so that in Trinidad and Tobago, we have a statutory authority with the backing of legislation
01:55to manage all of these policies and to manage waste in Trinidad and Tobago.
02:00The policies outline the steps and strategies of management from collection to processing of the waste
02:06and the final use of whatever is produced.
02:09Gonzalez knows that there are some stakeholders, including businesses,
02:13that may not be entirely happy with all that a policy entails.
02:17His message to them is...
02:19But let us get it done. Let us get it started.
02:23And where there are opportunities to improve, we will work towards improving it.
02:29Gonzalez also calls for the changing of mindsets to advance more sustainable practices in waste management.
02:36Meanwhile, Minister of Planning and Development, Penelope Beckles,
02:39knows that recycling has been attempted before and it failed.
02:43She says it was in part because it required additional effort,
02:46like sorting waste in different colored bins and putting them out on different days.
02:51As Trinidadians and Tobagoians, we go to Canada, Europe, New York,
02:56and as you reach your family, tell your listeners,
02:58see that plastic that you put inside of there? Take it out.
03:03Okay? And we are able to fall into place very easily,
03:09and then we come back home and everything changes.
03:13Now, yes, we don't have everything in place for these things, but we do have choices, you know.
03:19Minister Beckles believes citizens can achieve the goal.
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