A SUBSTANTIAL portion of household waste generated locally is not handled by municipal collection but often dumped in open areas.
This information is contained in a White Paper titled 'Jamaica's Environment 2001' which was recently tabled in Parliament.
It notes that the "illegal dumping in gullies, rivers and open lots result in an increase in the vector population and extensive flooding in urban areas due to blocked drains".
Also, it identified littering as being "very common" and said most of the waste disposal sites are dumps without sanitary treatment such as compacting and covering of the garbage.
The White Paper which is a state of the environment report, is littered with environment statistics, some of which provide startling information. For example, the estimated 408,000 tonnes of waste collected in 1995 represents only two-thirds of the collectable amount. By 1999, between 70 and 75 per cent of the waste generated in the Kingston Metropolitan Area (KMA) was collected for disposal. But, only 60 per cent was collected islandwide.
Among the other issues identified are:
Plastic waste, including PVC, is not biodegradable it will not break down naturally, and emits toxic gases if burnt.
Sewage treatment facilities can only deal with about 50 per cent of the sewage produced, and not always in an adequate manner.
Hazardous wastes are inadequately regulated and managed.
Liquid wastes are insufficiently treated and are entering watercourses thus impacting negatively on the quality of the natural environment.
According to the report, the amount of waste generated is hard to quantify as the problem is "both the multitude of ways to deal with waste and the difficulty in determining what is waste".
The KMA is responsible for the bulk of the country's waste. Estimates available from Metropolitan Parks and Markets (MPM) indicate that 1,400 tons of waste are generated daily in the KMA alone. This is in excess of 500,000 tons per year.
Figures available for 1996, show that 55 per cent of the waste deposited at the Riverton Landfill was yard and food waste. Other categories with noticeable shares are paper which accounted for 17 per cent and 12 per cent for plastic.
The 1996 study which was undertaken by Norconsult, found that the composition of household waste in Montego Bay was similar to that in the KMA and that hotel waste in Montego Bay had slightly less food waste and more paper products.
By 2000, the waste collection in Jamaica was organised into five regional parks and markets companies owned by Government. A decision was taken to join the separate units into one National Solid Waste Management Authority. Central Parks and Markets was absorbed by MPM by the end of 2000.
- L.S.
