A waste characterization study was successfully completed in Carriacou Island, Grenada, by the team of local consultants hired by the IUCN Plastic Waste-Free Islands (PWFI) partner, Asia Pacific Waste Consultants (APWC).
Dumfries Landfill, Carriacou Island
Photo: Richard Beadle, APWC Consultant
Grenada, October 26, 2020 (IUCN). The APWC local team arrived in Carriacou on September 11th and completed the study on September 18th. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs, Mrs. Rholda Quamina, warmly received the visit of the team, as she was updated on the over-all progress of the waste characterization study being undertaken in Grenada, and the specific elements of the Carriacou study.
Preliminary findings
The team’s first stop was the Dumfries Landfill site; the waste characterization study included a visual audit of waste dumped at the landfill for a period of seven days.
The second part of the visit at Carriacou consisted on gathering information on garbage disposal practices of the citizens of Carriacou, where samples from 30 households were collected, sorted and categorized. In addition, the households were interviewed on their observations of the garbage collection services in Carriacou, and their sensitivity to sustainable waste disposal methods and recycling opportunities.
From the interviews done, the team identified that a plastic recycling opportunity has been piloted in Carriacou by the Climate Save Actionist Club whom begun collections of plastic bottles for recycling at various points across Carriacou, with the goal to encourage the reuse and repurposing of plastic. In relation with the observation of the garbage collection in the island, it was noted that the roadways are consistently garbage free, and the garbage bins are noticeably emptied on a consistent schedule.
This waste characterization study accompanies a data collection process that will ultimately allow for a quantification and assessment of plastic at the national level. This will provide an overview of the stocks and flows of plastic waste and the identification of target solutions to reduce them.
PWFI is a global initiative, funded by Norad and implemented by IUCN, that seeks to address plastic waste generation and leakage in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The project focuses in Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, and Saint Lucia, and involves participation of the country governments, as well as regional partner, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
