Citizens Urged to Properly Containerise Waste

Regional Manager at SPM Waste Management Limited, Sheldon Smith, is encouraging citizens to properly package and containerise household waste to improve the efficiency of garbage collection.

Speaking with JIS News following a recent environmental awareness road show in Junction, St. Elizabeth, Mr. Smith said that many delays experienced in garbage collection result from improperly packaged waste.

He explained that collection crews often spend crucial time at single stops when garbage is scattered or left unsecured.

“When you have the garbage scattered, we are at your gate for 10 minutes. When we do our time and motion study, we are not supposed to be at the gate for more than a minute,” he pointed out.

Mr. Smith posited that the cumulative impact of such delays significantly reduces the number of households that can be serviced during a collection cycle.

“So, 10 minutes at one gate is 10 homes and if you extrapolate that, you will see what happens at the end of the day,” he said.

The Regional Manager emphasised that effective waste management requires cooperation from citizens.

“You have to package your garbage properly within your home, bag it properly, take it to your gate, put it in a [drum] and we’re good. We’ll come for it,” he said.

“I guarantee you, the National Solid Waste Management Authority will be able to give you at least 40 to 50 per cent better service if you bag the garbage and stop littering the streets,” he added.

Mr. Smith also used the opportunity to appeal to residents to desist from illegal dumping, which continues to create environmental and public health challenges across several communities.