SIXTY-FIVE PER CENT or 275 000 tonnes of solid waste is disposed in open dumps, rivers or directly into the Caribbean Sea. Seventy per cent of marine litter in the Caribbean Sea is from land based sources of solid Waste.
The scenario for Caribbean small island developing states are: waste strategies but outdated and limited implementation; a hazardous waste challenge; collection, transport, disposal; limited landfill space and existing capacity exceeded; land values are high; competing land uses; difficult to find new sites; high waste per capita generation in tourism; and potential for significant volumes of waste to be diverted.
National strategies often lack targets to minimise waste generated; effective frameworks to regulate and monitor waste production and enforce waste control measures; targets to maximise cost effective recovery of waste; targets to minimise waste sent to landfills; strategies to enhance public sector and private sector partnerships in the waste management sector; and policies and legislation to support recycling and waste diversion.
National strategies call for diversion and recycling but there is lack of recyclable markets; economic returns are difficult to realise due to small volumes generated and expensive recycling technologies; there is a predominant focus on national recycling; and greater potential at regional level.
Caribbean small island developing states often lack the human, technical and financial capacity for effective waste management.
National integrated waste management strategies are lacking in many countries while in others are in need of urgent updating. Countries could benefit from regional and, where appropriate, sub-regional waste management strategies especially for activities such as waste diversion and recycling. Proposed global guidelines will be an effective tool for national and regional level interventions.
Regional rtrategies should include target time-bound reduction volumes; effective recovery strategies and mechanisms; options for appropriate processing technologies; recommendations for economically feasible ground and sea transportation networks; options for the establishment of new diversion related industries; potential long-term markets for recycled products; proposed regional administrative institution or mechanisms for waste management/diversion; mechanisms for sustaining cadre of trained personnel; and recommended targeted pilot projects.
Regional strategies should facilitate updating of national waste management strategies (data on the status of waste management, for example waste characterisation); strengthening institutional, policy and legal frameworks (monitoring and evaluation of implementation), capacity building and training (regional agencies and networks), information sharing (best practices, case studies, technology transfer, and data bases), regional approaches to waste diversion (tourism, agriculture, local communities, recycling, private sector, and detailed cost benefit studies); resource mobilisation; partnership building; awareness raising; and implementation of regional and national pilot projects.
Solid waste management has the potential to contribute towards the green economy, which has been embraced as an economic development pathway by several Caribbean countries. It must generate economic opportunities and reduce costly environmental impacts.
Authored by United Nations Environmental Programme Caribbean Environment Programme programme officer Christopher Corbin and co-written by Caribbean Environmental Health Institute programme director Dr Christopher Cox.
