18 October 2019
A draft Waste Management Policy for St Helena is out for public consultation until 4pm on Friday, 8 November 2019.
St Helena Government (SHG) acknowledges the need for a Waste Management Policy which plans for short, medium and long term environmental changes that are likely to impact on the quality of Island life if left unmanaged.
Environmental Risk Manager, Mike Durnford, explains:
“If not properly managed waste is a problem because it takes up valuable and limited landfill space, can cause pollution and other negative social impacts, uses up natural resources that could be used again, creates reputational impacts on eco-tourism, creates greenhouse gases which contribute towards Climate Change and creates a lasting problem for future generations.”
Measures that can be taken to mitigate the potential problems of poor waste management include:
- Reducing the amount of waste that is produced
- Re-using items such as plastic bags, clothes and furniture that might otherwise be thrown away
- Recycling items like glass, cans, plastics and cardboard so they can be made into new products
- Treating organic waste such as food and green waste to convert biodegradable waste into compost, which can be beneficially used to enhance local soil conditions; and
- Controlled landfilling of remaining wastes after reducing, re-using, recycling and treating as much as possible.
Waste recycling and treatment also offers opportunities for the establishment of commercially viable private sector businesses on the Island.
Mike added:
“Reducing, reusing and recycling more waste will help to reduce reliance on landfill. This increases St Helena’s reputation as the sustainable Island and contributes towards climate change mitigation.”
To achieve the aim and objectives of the draft Policy, several strategic waste management actions will be delivered through an implementation plan including, but not limited to:
- Embedding the principles of ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ in all aspects of decision making throughout the Island
- Promoting existing ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ activities and encouraging and supporting the development of new initiatives
- Converting organic waste into compost and
- Ensuring that unavoidable landfilling is managed in a manner which does not significantly impact on public health or the natural environment.
A copy of the draft Waste Management Policy is available under the Public Consultations section of the Publications page on the SHG website (www.sainthelena.gov.sh/publications).
Comments should be sent to Environmental Risk Manager, Mike Durnford, via email: mike.durnford@sainthelena.gov.sh or tel: 24724.
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SHG
18 October 2019