Our Waste. Our Responsibility. Improving Residential Waste Collection is our Service.
By Dominique Tudor - Prosource Environmental Ambassador
“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
R. Buckminster Fuller
As a country we have seen various improvements to the waste management services provided by the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA ). Their accomplishments have come with many challenges, but nothing great is ever achieved without consistent efforts to improve.
To solve a complex challenge such as waste management, we need to go back to the source, and we are doing that in Barbados with the SSA and Prosource Ltd., the Caribbean Waste Management Specialists managing the Residential Waste Collection Improvement Project (RWCIP) for Barbados.
One of the various waste management services provided by The SSA is that of household waste collection. The staff of the SSA are the pinnacle waste warriors, efficiently fulfilling their responsibility to keeping Barbados clean through their island wide collection system; despite the many hazardous conditions currently encountered by the SSA staff, due to poor residential waste disposal methods and the need for heavy lifting of metal and ‘blue’ bins, which impacts their overall health and wellbeing.
After Collection, our waste is taken to the Sustainable Barbados Recycling Centre to be diverted for sorting before being taken to our landfill. Time is running out for us, if we don’t improve our systems, we will soon reach full capacity at our landfill. Urgent Action is needed for us to manage our waste better and keep Barbados Clean!
It’s TIME for us to Roll-It Out Barbados! The Residential Waste Collection Improvement Project has started…Let’s end the talk and act together now to be a part of the solution! Through the collaboration of Prosource and the Sanitation Service Authority, the RWCIP will see:
· The provision of one 65-gallon roll-out cart for general waste (Green) and one 18- gallon Recycling bin (Blue), to each eligible household across Barbados.
· SSA trucks will be retrofitted with mechanical cart lifters, so that the SSA back loaders can easily roll-out the carts from their location to the truck, hook them up and then the mechanical lifters will tip the roll-out carts.
· Prosource distributed roll-out carts will each have an RFID tag, which is like the barcode you see on products in the supermarket. Each time that your garbage is tipped, the trucks will be fitted with RFID readers, to scan your bin and allow the SSA to track your bin and collection, eventually resulting in better route scheduling.
· The SSA Recycling Collection Program will be launched when all householders across Barbados have received their recycling bins - The Blue 18 gallon Recycling Bins provided to householders are to be stored safely until then, and may be used to transport recyclables to existing recyclers.
How does the RWCIP Benefit Barbados?
· Larger Bins with secure lids for householders, means they are able to safely contain their waste, thereby reducing pests and odors.
· Route Optimization and Improved Scheduling will enable SSA to provide a more efficient collection service, reducing the accumulation of waste and transportation costs.
· The ability for householders to participate in a national recycling program for Barbados, is a big win for us all. Better Trash Management is Better Cash Management.
· The New cart lifters and roll-out carts will assist the SSA staff to reduce injuries and other challenges caused by heavy lifting and handling of hazardous waste. This will improve the health and wellbeing of the SSA staff.