EDITORIAL: Get on-board for change

Barbados has a serious garbage problem, there is no denying this fact. It has led to repeated calls for an improved garbage collection service, greater enforcement of illegal dumping laws, and a sustainable solution to our current landfill crisis. It has also led to calls for Barbadians to be more responsible and recycle, hence cutting down on much of the waste they produce daily. 

 

This past week, one local company joined those pushing the 4Rs – reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering – and in so doing paved the way for many more people to follow suit. Last Thursday, Bico Limited introduced its Vegware line of products to the local market – a fully compostable alternative to styrofoam featured in a wide range of food and beverage containers. The Vegware containers, which are made from biodegradable plant matter, breaks down within 12 weeks, unlike the estimated 500 years minimum it takes a single styrofoam container to decompose. Speaking at the launch, Bico Executive Chairman Edwin Thirwell said “This is the beginning of a change that we are hoping will see some traction. It will not be an overnight sensation but it is something that for those aware of the environment, they are very aware that something must be done to slow down initially and eventually change the mindset of people to discarding litter in gullies, on beaches and filling up the landfill.”

 

We commend Bico for investing in this country’s future. In addition, the state and the private sector can look into the use of sugar cane by-products in making similar bio-degradeable containers. Presently there are several on the international market made from bagasse fiber – a more renewable resource than wood pulp. And with Barbados having an existing sugar industry, the raw material would be readily available. 

 

 We urge Government therefore to sit up and pay attention. It is not enough to hope that products like these gain “traction”. It is far past time for an urgent response to an environmental concern that not only overwhelms our landfill with a whopping average of six to eight 40-foot containers of styrofoam products dumped on a weekly basis, but also leaks toxic carcinogens with heat. Consideration should therefore be given to restricting the importation of such containers, while giving incentives and tax breaks to businesses which use the more environmentally-friendly version. The latter would hopefully bring down the cost of the newer items, thus making them more affordable and reasonable for food vendors to use.

 

While it may cause some debate on the commercial front, doing the right thing is hardly ever easy and no one wants to be the one to make life more difficult. It would be easy to continue tossing items in the trash without regard for where they end up, but when one considers the world in which one’s children will be forced to live, maybe making more informed purchases is not too hard a task to do. 

 

In short, if Barbados is to become the leading green economy in the region as it was proclaimed, we have to lead in change. Already Guyana has banned the import of styrofoam containers, as have over 100 cities worldwide. Still, people are generally opposed to change. Steps must therefore be put in place to compel individuals to make better choices, if only for our children’s sakes.