Publication: Weekend Nation
Paper Section And Page: 14
Paper Date: Thu, Dec 30, 1999
By-Line: Terrel Yearwood
THE SANITATION SERVICE AUTHORITY (SSA) wants retail shops and stores to reduce
the amount of packaging on imported goods.
Both general manager Chris Griffith and deputy general manager Stanton Alleyne told the WEEKEND NATION excess packaging was a contributor to the high levels of garbage seen over the last week. Between December 20 and 27, about 2 492 truck-loads of garbage were taken to the Mangrove Landfill in St. Thomas, representing 1 876 loads by private trucks and 616 by SSA vehicles.
Alleyne said based on SSA surveys done on the tonnage per vehicle, this meant a total of 5 954.2 tonnes of garbage were dumped at Mangrove which worked out to an average of 850.6 tonnes per day. The daily average was 550 tonnes. On Christmas Eve, the authority hauled away 120 truck-loads of garbage to the landfill, with 60 tonnes coming from Bridgetown alone. A further 22 truck-loads were taken up on Christmas Day.
"It has reached the point where you have boxes within boxes. If retailers can talk to their suppliers, this might go a long way in reducing the amount of waste which is brought here in the first place," Alleyne said.
He said Barbadians were also throwing away a lot of things which they could still use.
Griffith said the closure of at least one recycling company which recycled cardboxes had dealt a setback to the SSA's attempts to keep Bridgetown and the rest of the country clean.
"The amount of material is a lot more. We are seeing a lot more cardboard and we believe it has to do with the reduced recycling capacity."
Referring to complaints of a garbage build-up in New Orleans, St. Michael, Griffith said the area had been cleaned during the Christmas period.
"We could clean that area now and it would
look the same way," he said, adding that the area was constantly used as a
dumping ground by people who were not from New Orleans.