Head of the Georgetown Solid Waste Management Progamme (GSWMP) Gordon Gilkes is encouraging Guyanese businesses and entrepreneurs to look at new and innovative ways to utilise some of the waste materials taken to the Haags Bosch Landfill Site, so as to generate income and ultimately extend the life of the landfill.
Gilkes was at the time addressing corporate entities at a workshop hosted by Guyenterprise as part of its efforts to create public awareness about the GSWMP. Among the waste that can be reused for other purposes include plastic bottles and tyres.
“We had several visitors from Europe and Brazil and they’ve indicated to us that we have valuable material going into the landfill; so entrepreneurs need to get onboard and start using this waste to make new products,” Gilkes pointed out.
He made reference to the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST), which uses plastic bottles to make roof tiles.
The landfill site was designed in 2003 but waste produce has grown significantly from the 70,000 tonnes per year previously projected.
The landfill site was initially designed to last 26 years, however, based on the magnitude of waste going into the landfill, contractors are now projecting a lifespan of only 19 years.
To encourage maximum usage of the land-fill site, innovative measures of reducing, reusing and recycling waste are being encouraged.
Rubber tyres are said to be a particularly problematic waste product that does not readily disintegrate and therefore takes up landfill space.
According to recent surveys, considering the millions of tyres disposed of every year in all countries, significant recycling opportunities exist for investors to earn dividends consistently. Land filling and burning tyres now have limited prospects, as environmental authorities are acknowledging the need for greener alternatives for what can become valuable waste products.
Recycling tyres is not a new practice, but many countries have been failing to put them to use. In 2007, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that the owners of Tyre Genics at Baglan, Neath Port Talbot, would reprocess over 30,000 tonnes of used tyres each year into rubber crumb. The company uses liquid nitrogen to freeze tyres until brittle, then smashes them into tiny pieces for use as sports pitches and rubber flooring.
Guyanese entrepreneurs are therefore being urged to explore ways and means of how tyres, PET bottles, plastic bags and other products can expand the economy, and the long-standing capacity of the Haags Bosch Landfill site.
