Government to expand list of containers which can be returned

Government has moved to expand the list of containers that can be returned and for which a refund would be paid.

Yesterday, Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Trevor Prescod introduced the Returnable Containers (Amendment) Bill and the Control of Disposable Plastics (Amendment) Bill in the Lower House for debate, explaining that the Returnable Containers Act (RCA) has been instrumental in reducing littering in the country and has also helped to develop a recycling industry. Prescod told the Lower House that at present waste brokers in this country handle as much as 400 tonnes of material per day.

“It is hoped that formalising the amendment to the Act, that there would be an even greater amount of separation of recyclables from the waste stream. If we can reduce that, we will be able to reduce the amount of waste that has to be collected and waste that must be transported in the limited trucks we have,” he said.

The Minister added, “This is another effort to correct wrongs in relation to how do we treat to waste. There have been lots of public debates in the treating to waste, in relation to how can we take waste, which may be perceived in a negative light and transform that waste into an energy source. While we were condemning it, we had to come up with refined modern thoughts, with whatever little we have…available to us and what best we can do with the waste which we have across Barbados”.

With that in mind, he said focus will have to be placed on such things as how waste may be used to help reduce the cost of energy and if old tires can be used to as material for paving roads.

More SSA trucks on the way

Meanwhile, the Minister disclosed that the Sanitation Service Authority has two additional garbage trucks, adding that by this time next week, they will have 10 more new trucks. He revealed that an additional 10 garbage trucks are set to be on island early in the new year. He said these 22 garbage trucks will bring the total number of acquired trucks to 29, as seven have already been put to use.

“We will have additional equipment to complement the trucks as well and that would at least ensure the sustainability of the labour force which we have, and probably a few more people might be able to get into the labour force,” he stated.
(JRT)