We are fast approaching the time of year when home owners in particular pay a little more attentions to changing things around the home, doing some renovation, face-lifting and sprucing up with paint etc , changing appliances and furniture.

It’s also one of two times of the year when our landfill records show a vast increase in waste quantities arriving at the landfill.

With the commissioning of the final cell for waste disposal at the landfill in July, the design consultants have warned that we must put measures to help extend the life of the facility, but more importantly, we must put measures in place to ensure that certain waste types which we have been accustomed to be putting in the landfill cells for disposal are kept away from regular waste and treated appropriately so as to avoid things like pollution of nearby water systems such as a Sallay River and Halifax mangrove, spontaneous combustion brought on by exploding batteries, friction with flammable items, chemical spills that can harm sanitation and landfill personnel and special waste types which can introduce toxins or if burned can release dioxins into the environment and bring about situations that can lead to illness and even death.

In your cleaning up and throwing out in the run-up to the festive season we would wish that you pay particular attention to the following.

1. If you are changing light bulbs of any kind, please do not under any circumstances discard them with regular waste. You may wrap them in paper or place them in a box and deliver them to the waste hauler in your community by handing it over to them and in so doing, please indicate that the item or items contained in them are light bulbs. If you live in the St. George’s area or on the western side of the island and you would like to deliver them to a waste management facility by yourself, you may drop it off or ask someone to drop it off at the perseverance landfill if they are passing in that direction or deliver it yourself to the recycling center at Queens Park St. George’s if you are in the St. George’s area.
2. For appliances, especially refrigerators, we have found that some of these appliances are delivered to waste haulers in damaged condition. We urge that you do not attempt to damage the cooling system or network to refrigerators, AC units etc before delivering to waste haulers for disposal. The GSWMA is in possession of equipment to safely tap refrigerants from such appliances in an effort to prevent their release into the environment as so are considered to be ozone depleting substances as must be safely contained prior to the processing of the appliances before disposal or baling for shipment.
3. We also wish to remind you of the importance of not including batteries of all types with your regular waste for disposal. In the coming weeks the Authority will announce where collection stations are being established throughout the state for safe disposal. Please be a part of the solution to the problems we have been experiencing with the improper management of batteries. You are encouraged to keep both your e-waste such as old cell phones, tablets, electronic accessories such as chargers as well as batteries in a safe place in your home until you are ready to dispose of them at specially established collection points. In Petit Martinique at Emrols Super Market and in Carriacou at Alexis Super Market and the Visitors center.

For the regular disposal of your appliances, white goods, bulky items, and paint buckets which should be contained in bags, please make an appointment with your solid waste collection contractor to have those safely collected and taken to the appropriate disposal facility.