City embarks on new clean up campaign
By Jaime Hall
Guyana Chronicle
May 1, 2004
THE Mayor and City Council in collaboration with the Guyenterprise advertising agency are embarking on a public awareness and education programme on Solid Waste Management (SWM) in an effort to restore Georgetown to its `Garden City’ image.
This project is unlike "clean up campaigns" conducted in the city before, officials said yesterday.
They said it is a management and disposal strategy used by progressive communities to sort, recycle, convert and dispose of garbage they generate.
And the approach would take the line of collective behaviour that leads to less disposal of garbage and healthier environments for all, with an aim that would ultimately lead to reducing the amount of waste generated.
This project is a pilot initiative aimed at developing a public education awareness campaign, initially for residents and businesses of Lodge and Regent Street, the officials explained.
These are the areas most affected by waste disposal problems, Communication Consultant for the programme, Dr. Rovin Deodat pointed out.
Lodge, as an urban residential area, is typical of a community that generates domestic waste that is not disposed of in terms of proper SWM, he said.
This community is small enough and contains enough to make it ideal for a try-out of what will become a national exercise.
And Regent Street as a main commercial area, which daily generates tonnes of commercial waste, should be subjected to the various processes of commercial/industrial SWM.
Guyenterprise has been entrusted with the task and will be responsible for the planning and execution of a public awareness and education programme schedued to be implemented in the pilot areas.
The entity's Managing Director, Mr. Vic Insanally, said the programme promises to be one of the most comprehensive exercises aimed at educating every citizen in the two selected areas about the nature of management and disposal of solid waste.
It also seeks to coordinate education efforts for residents as to their rights and responsibilities with regard to solid waste management programmes in the city and the benefits to the health of individuals and their community, he said.
Campaigns would also be conducted at schools and special promotions to raise public awareness about solid waste issues as part of the programme.
Through the media, Guyenterprise will coordinate campaigns and officials will be in schools and going door-to-door to educate citizens to alter their values and lifestyles so that waste can be reduced.
Another ultimate goal is to induce a long-term desirable attitudinal change with respect to solid waste management because waste as part of living must be viewed as an "issue" of environmental health, officials said.
The expected outcome of this exercise would see, among other things, individuals being responsible for their surroundings and the waste generated based on a new appreciation of SWM.
The strengthening of voluntary public participation to reuse and recycle solid waste; a decrease in improper waste disposal; protection of public health and environment and improving sustainable management waste are other aspects.