By Sue-Ann Wayow
WITH the scrap iron industry still in limbo, some of those involved have formed a transition team.
Over the weekend, the team held its first community outreach event at the Guanapo Landfill in Arima.
Social technology and recycling entrepreneur Jean Stephan Dubois was the main guest for the event.
President of the Trinidad and Tobago Scrap Iron Dealers Association (TTSIDA) Allan Ferguson in a press release on Tuesday said, “Mr Dubois is currently engaged in the recycling industry in Haiti and his international experience has brought a fresh perspective to the opportunities available for the re-energizing and diversification of the recycling industry in Trinidad and Tobago.”
The release stated that the Transition Team visited the landfill with the aim of investigating the conditions under which both formal and informal work was carried out and exploring opportunities for the proper harvesting of material, to form the input stream for reusing, recycling and
Scrap collectors residing in the area, who make their living from scavenging on the landfill, expressed their grievances with the industry still being partially shut down, as they say it makes it impossible for them to earn wages, send their children to school and put food on the table.
Several of the collectors also pointed out that their work reduces the burden on the landfill, as substantial amounts of material and removed, sorted and repurposed.
Ferguson said, “The removal of heavy metals, such as lead, ensures that toxic substances will not be leached into our waterways and aquifers, underscoring the important symbiotic role the industry play within our overall economy.”
During the event, emphasis was also placed on the need for the government to work hand in hand with the scrap iron industry, to remove the remaining blockages and expedite the growth of the recycling sector.
The Transition Team will be continuing its work over the next several weeks, visiting the collectors, scrapyards, landfills and other affected communities across both Tobago and Trinidad, the release stated.
