Recyclable Solid Waste Collection Project (iCARE Project)

The project aims to create heightened public awareness on the benefits of recycling and the adverse effects of improper waste management. It also aimed to establish forty (40) collection sites at publicly accessible locations and at all government, primary and secondary schools for beverage container recyclable waste i.e. plastics, glass, tetra paks, aluminum cans to reduce their disposal into the environment and the subsequent pollution and waste management problems that arise. Additionally, it is designed to provide supportive infrastructure for implementation of other deposit-refund legal instruments for recyclables. Several collection sites were established throughout Trinidad for collection of plastic, glass, aluminum and Tetra Pak materials for recycling. Three (3) pilot Collection Depots were also established in Trinidad. Under the project the Trinidad & Tobago's Solid Waste Management Company Limited (SWMCOL) established a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) wash line and Beverage Container Recycling Facility, the first in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean, to improve recycling in Trinidad and Tobago. The collected recyclables are sorted by type and colour at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), and are then either processed locally and converted into new products ( e.g. glass), or collected, processed and stored at the Beverage Container Recycling Facility, for shipment of these reusable resources to foreign markets to be used as input in the creation of new products of value. As of December 2019 the iCARE Project had: -Established and maintained six hundred and seventy nine (679) collection sites throughout Trinidad; -One hundred and thirty one (131) are located on public sites (surpassing the aim of 40) – 60 sites were established in 2019; -Thirty two (32) on private sites; and -Five hundred and sixteen (516) in school sites from 2018/ 2019 -Collected approximately 550,000 bags by 2018 and 1,200,000.00 bags by 2019 of various sizes containing both recyclable and non-recyclable materials; -Deposited for processing by SWMCOL, 398.57 MT in 2018 and 510.77 MT of recyclables in 2019 at its Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Guanapo Trinidad; and -Implemented an aggressive communications strategy and public education and awareness campaign to foster recycling behaviors, while targeting various audiences. Additionally, the iCARE Green Events Recycling Programme facilitated the ‘greening’ of a host of cultural and sporting events. Such occasions provided a platform to market the Project and gain access to a larger and more diversified audience. The Recyclable Solid Waste Collection Project aims to partner with non-governmental originations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), environmental groups, community groups and the private sector for clean-up activities, empowering communities and building environmental consciousness around the preservation of their communities.