The Green Fund sponsored Recyclable Solid Waste Collection Project more fondly known as iCARE, is the successor of the Beverage Containers Clean-Up Project (BCCP). iCARE which is an acronym for Community, Awareness, Recycle, Everyday, is the catalyst for the development of a recycling culture in Trinidad & Tobago. The project aims to create heightened public awareness on the benefits of recycling and the adverse effects of poor waste management.
iCARE seeks to go a step further than the collection of beverage containers, with the inclusion of e-waste. The primary objective is to logistically prepare the country for the passage of the Waste Management Rules while strengthening the infrastructure to implement other relevant legislation with respect to a deposit and refund system for recyclables.
The ICARE project in its initial pilot phase kicked off in June 2015 and has achieved the following:
- Two weekends of island-wide curbside recyclable collection were conducted: Aug 22-24, 2015 (344 trucks; 2786 bags) & Aug 29-30, 2015 (232 trucks; 3349 bags);
- Establishment of branded bins in seventy (70) Collection Sites;
- Collected over 370,000 bags of recyclables from collections sites around the island;
- Conducted sensitization sessions for Corporate entities, Summer Camps and Schools;
- Hosted a Recycling Exhibition at UTT O’Meara which featured companies & organizations involved in recycling initiatives April 2017;
- Collaborated with Ministry of Rural and Local Government for the Nationwide Clean Up Campaign in Jan – May 2017;
- Partnered with NGOs for clean-up/collection activities: United Way, Cashew Gardens, International Coastal Clean-up and many more;
- Establishment of three (3) pilot depots for the collection, sorting and data capture of recyclable materials from collection sites situated all across Trinidad.
- Dale Cozier, Senior Project Manager – 645-7100 ext.4269 dcozier@ema.co.tt;
- Kimberly Phillip, Project Officer – 645-7100 ext. 4293 kphillip@ema.co.tt;
- On FACEBOOK;
Credits:
Created with images by Tony Webster - "Plastic Bottles - Waste" • Sustainable sanitation - "Produced granulats - granulats produits" • Lacey Williams - "Bottles in Venice" • WerbeFabrik - "phone mobile phone smartphone" • Brad Montgomery - "News Briefs" • skeeze - "clasped hands comfort hands"