EDITORIAL: Addressing the waste management challenge

Regardless of what side of the political divide you may find yourself on, there can be no denying that solid solutions are needed to deal with the 1 000 tonnes of garbage Barbadians generate on a daily basis. The fact is that with many of the products we now consume coming in containers which are not degradable, efforts have to be made to come up with ideas to keep those containers out of the landfill. But achieving this will be no easy task, as it will require that Barbadians change their thinking as it relates to waste management and put more focus on reducing, reusing and recycling.

 

That ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ mantra sounds simple enough, but it is still a concept that eludes Barbadians. Certainly, recycling PET bottles is a concept they have bought into, so is recycling metal, because there are monetary incentives to do so. 

 

Given that reality, it may serve some entity well, Government or private sector, to institute a similar programme to encourage the recycling of other products. But the onus is also on consumers to play their part and start to reuse a number of the items that they would otherwise send to the dump. 

 

Now while Government has announced that it will not be entering into any arrangement with the overseas company, Cahill Energy, to carry out its waste-to-energy programme through plasma gasification technology as it has been shown to have significant flaws, one has to hope that a more suitable and safe alternative can be found. We need a solution because it will become increasingly difficult to find landfill space to dispose of the garbage generated in this country of only 166 and a quarter square miles.

 

Indeed, if Government does ban plastics including Styrofoam in the waste stream as it is considering doing, this could help with the garbage situation and Barbados would definitely not be the first country to go this route. Just last month the City Council in Minneapolis, United States, took a decision to ban retailers from using plastic carry-out bags, and instead they will have to offer paper, reusable or compostable bags to customers. 

 

Meanwhile, the local companies which have already started charging consumers for the use of plastic bags must be commended. Simple steps like these can help to reduce the amount of garbage we generate. 

 

What will be hard we suspect, is getting Barbadians to buy into this change in behaviour, and taking along reusable bags when they go shopping. Certainly they do it now at those warehouse-type establishments, but find it difficult to do so when going to the average supermarket. 

 

So perhaps instituting a penalty for continual use of plastics may be the way to go. This is perhaps along the lines that Government is thinking as it relates to the proposed “polluter pays principle fee”. But, that is purely speculation until the details of that initiative are revealed to the public.

 

Whatever the solution they come up with, we hope it is in the best interest of Barbados and Barbadians.