Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 22/Sep 08:50

Swaratsingh to review Trinidad and Tobago waste-collection practices

OVER 3,700 pounds of trash was collected from the coastline of the Foreshore along the Audrey Jeffers Highway in Port of Spain on September 20 as part of the International Coastal Clean-up exercise. The clean-up activity attrracted 234 volunteers comprising staff, diplomats and teams of organisations, led by the Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development through its Environmental Policy and Planning Division, partnering with the Environmental Management Authority and the Institute of Marine Affairs, and nationally co-ordinated by the Caribbean Network for Integrated Rural Development. It was one of 30 sites – 29 on shore and one underwater – with clean-up operations. The group gathered 986 pounds of plastic, 112 pounds of glass and 2,604 pounds of miscellaneous items (appliances, electronics, tyres etc). In a media release, the ministry said the aim of this activity is to bring national attention to the pressing environmental issue of marine pollution due to anthropogenic activity, while collecting data on the issue. "Land-based sources account for 80 per cent of marine pollution, with the remaining 20 per cent is from ocean-based sources. Marine pollution threatens human health, wildlife, economies, livelihoods as well as communities and economies and its transboundary nature also results in global impacts." Planning, Economic Affairs and Development Minister Kennedy Swaratsingh, who also has responsibility for the environment, lamented on the state of litter found along the coastline and spoke of the goal to deal with the issue at the national level by reviewing TT’s waste management system and the waste collection and disposal practices. Swaratsingh said attention is being given to tackling the landfill at Forres Park and the dump located along the Beetham Highway, as well as the manner in which households deal with waste materials. The minister spoke of the possibility where organic, plastic and general waste items can be collected and disposed of separately as an example of a system for consideration to enhance the waste management practices. The International Coastal Cleanup is the world’s largest volunteer effort to remove millions of pounds of discarded material and debris from oceans and waterways which arrive there from anthropogenic malpractices like littering. An integral component of the clean-up activities is data collection which is recorded on standardised data sheets issued globally. This information collected on waste generated in waterways is used to inform policy makers, researchers and the public and to provide tangible evidence on the need for us to alter behaviour and implement long-lasting, resounding solutions. The post Swaratsingh to review Trinidad and Tobago waste-collection practices appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.