The Solid Waste Management Company (SWMCOL) has estimated that approximately 1,000 tonnes of waste enter landfills daily in Trinidad and Tobago. An additional amount of waste is improperly disposed into our surrounding environment including our water ways and land.
Most of these wastes are recyclable material: plastic products, glass bottles, paper, metal and rubber which can be further processed by downstream manufacturers to make new products.
But there are few recycling initiatives in Trinidad and Tobago, and those are mostly carried out by the private sector. Some of these private recycling companies include Recycling in Motion (RIM), Piranha Technology Asset Management Limited and the Caribbean Battery Recycling Company.
In the 2011/2012 Budget presentation, Minister of Finance Mr. Winston Dookeran proposed the introduction of a much needed recycling industry, which he thought could play a major role in sustainable economic development. Several economically sustainable recycling methods can be practised in Trinidad and Tobago.
Although recycling is not generally incorporated into the culture of Trinbagonians, people should be made more aware of the great benefits and innovations that could be derived from it. (The steel pan is a perfect example.)
Initial costs are high, but it is economically viable in the long run. With over 600 million plastic and 120 glass containers sent to local landfills in 2005 alone, something has to be done. People can be taught methods to promote recycling on various levels. Used vegetable oil, for instance, can be used as fuel to power motor vehicles. The population, especially those falling within the younger demographic, can be informed and influenced into embracing recycling activities through the use of mascots, icons used in television and other forms of media. Recycling programmes should become part of the curriculum and also occur at a community level. Posters and snippets of audio clips should accompany facilities such as public recycle bins. The younger demographic also has a lot of purchasing power and strong influence on that of the older, which would make acceptance of recycling as a way of life a bit easier.
The Deposit-Refund system is used locally, but only with respect to glass bottles. This system involves an additional charge on a certain product and a subsidy for its return. With plastics, each year it is estimated that more than 500 million empty Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles go into land-fills in Trinidad. Since there are local plastic recycling companies, a deposit-refund system may be appropriate. With the passing of the Beverage Container Bill, T&T has made a step in the right direction.
Students in the Faculty of Science and Agriculture doing a Semester I course in Environmental Economics were asked to work in groups and produce papers on various environmental issues. This is an extract from the paper presented by a group comprising Shanta R. Pirmal, Nandani Bridglal, Darion Fraser, Shenelle Olivieri, Ishan Kalliecharan, Stephan Matamoro and Linda Gajadhar.
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