Charles Kong Soo
charles.kongsoo@guardian.co.tt
Minister of Planning and Development Pennelope Beckles says the new Beverage Container Bill with private sector buy-in will offer monetary incentives to citizens to recycle plastic and glass bottles.
A total of 2,721 pounds of garbage was collected from along the Foreshore, Audrey Jeffers Highway, on Saturday by more than 250 volunteers hosted by the Ministry of Planning and Development’s Environmental Policy and Planning Division TT, with several organisations and NGOs participating, such as the Environmental Management Authority, Institute of Marine Affairs, and the Basel Convention Regional Centre-Caribbean.
The exercise was led by Beckles.
Speaking to Guardian Media, Beckles said “The Government has to do its work. I spoke with the Minister of Public Utilities (Marvin Gonzales) who is responsible for the Beverage Container Bill.
“They have completed all the consultations, went to the private sector with the public sector and with all parties involved.
“There was a previous Beverage Container Bill, there were some concerns, they have revisited those concerns and had consultations.
“They’re just about reached the stage upon completion of the policy and the new Beverage Container Bill and hopefully there is going to be full support.”
She said there will be value on the bottles that will probably encourage people to do both recycling as well as returning bottles to continue the recycling process.
Beckles said this will result in less bottles polluting the environment and also enable WASA to deliver water more efficiently.