NSWMA to expand composting across western parishes
Published:Wednesday | February 15, 2023 | 1:15 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
BOOSTED BY the success of composting and the recycling of plastic bottles in Chambers Pen, Hanover, the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) will be expanding those activities into other western parishes.
Dramaine Jones, acting regional operations manager at Western Parks and Markets (WPM) Waste Management Limited, says the separation of plastic bottles and compostable helps to reduce the amount of waste collected at the Retirement disposal site in St James.
“We are looking at identifying three rural communities in Westmoreland, where discussions have begun in terms of selecting these communities so we can start the projects there,” Jones said on Tuesday in a Gleaner interview.
The composting initiative is to be undertaken over nine months, in the first instance, starting in April.
Jones said the prospective communities will be confirmed after consultation with the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation.
Compositing should last for six weeks before the end product is ready for use as fertiliser, he said.
“We did a very successful run within the Chambers Pen area, with plastic bottle collection and composting, where we saw on a monthly basis an average of over 2,000lb of plastic bottles,” the WPM acting regional manager said.
In November 2021, the WPM launched a solid waste-reduction programme in Chambers Pen among farmers and other community members. That has reportedly resulted in the transformation of the community into a more salubrious environment.
While there are no composting activities on the agenda of the St James corporation, WPM says the collection of plastic bottles is on in earnest in several communities.
“Right now in St James, the collection of plastic bottles is an easier uptake over composting. In Canterbury, there is a project that is going on now for the collection of plastic bottles. Similar projects are taking place in the communities of Rosemount Gardens, Bogue Village, and Montego West Village,” said Jones.
“In relation to composting, we are in discussions with some of these communities towards starting a composting project, because you want to ensure that you have persons that are actually interested and are willing to participate.”
Jones said the WPM would seek to train residents of Albert Town, Trelawny.
“We are hoping to engage them formally and ensure that the process is being practised properly, and to engage other areas of concern where composting can help to reduce what our trucks are picking up and transporting to the landfill.”