The work of the court and the Solid Waste Management can help in achieving greater protection of the environment, according to Chairman of the board of the Solid Waste Management Corporation (SWMC) Mr. Randolph Edmeade. Mr. Edmeade acknowledged the view that some officials in the environmental health and waste management fields may have that the court appears indifferent towards environmental and waste management issues. He has a different view on the subject. “I don’t want to look at it from the angle that garbage disposal (infraction) is frowned upon by the court because I can tell you that the officers of the court, if they have a problem today with their garbage not being collected, the first place they would call is the SWMC. So I think the appreciation is there as to what the function of the Solid Waste Cooperation is,” he explained.

In fact, Mr. Edmeade believes a solution will be to inform officers of the court on how the SWMC works and the challenges the corporation faces in doing its job. “Maybe officers of the court…need to be a bit more informed and sensitive as to what the challenges are. And in saying that, let me be quick to add, that the SWMC needs to have a greater understanding as to the workings of the court and the legal system because sometimes what may come across maybe as not getting full cooperation from the court or from the legal system, may come down to a key clause or key technicality if you want to ensure to prosecute (a case) and get it settled,” the SWMC chairman stated.

Meanwhile, the SWMC chairman has made it known that the corporation will continue its aggressive public relations campaign to bring awareness to the public on the importance of waste disposal and protecting the environment. Mr. Edmeade, in pointing to the work of the SWMC in its continued public awareness campaign, asserted that the corporation will continue to highlight the importance of taking care of the environment which is the main asset for the nation’s economic driver—tourism. “Tourism is our key economic driver at this point in time and a healthy environments is one of the key underpinning for tourism. Most definitely, the Solid Waste Management Corporation has a role to play in that,” he said. Mr. Edmeade noted that a proposal is currently before the SWMC as it pertains to derelict vehicles, which he added will involve a number of key government stakeholders such as the police traffic department, the Ministry of Health and the department of environment.

Mr. Edmeade lauded the work of the SWMC in its media outreach, particularly the radio shows. “The SWMC will continue with its radio outreach program that people would have been hearing on the different radio stations at specific intervals. Those programs, I can tell you, give a wealth of information as to what the functioning and the contribution of the SWMC is to the wider federation,” Mr. Edmeade said. The chairman also alluded to plans to go into the schools and conduct awareness campaigns. “Those activities will continue and will be strengthened.”