CARIBBEAN-Reports give insights into the plastic waste landscape of Dominica and Grenada.

CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission Wednesday said the new waste characterization reports for Dominica and Grenada are critical for tailoring the “Recycle OECS Model” framework to the waste landscape in the two countries.

Dominica and Grenada had been selected to implement model demonstration projects, paving the way for the rest of the OECS Waste Management sector in the nine-member sub-regional grouping.

The Commission said that the Waste Characterisation exercise could not have been more urgent for Dominica, as plastic usage trends have significantly altered the waste landscape from 2002 when the Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation (DSWMC) last conducted a waste study.

It said that between July 22 and 28 last year, the DSWMC conducted a dual waste classification exercise covering co-mingled municipal solid waste and source-separated recyclable packaging waste at the Fond Cole Sanitary Landfill Site.

It also sought to identify the sub-categories of plastics within the waste stream and assess the potential for recycling under the Recycle OECS initiative.

According to the 2023 Study report, plastics comprise 24 percent of Dominica’s solid waste stream, with film plastics being the dominant component at 53 percent.

“Plastics rank second to organics, at 29 percent, followed by paper and paperboard at 17 percent. Within the Recycle OECS project’s focus on PET and HDPE plastics, a detailed breakdown shows film plastics at 53 percent, Clear PET at 24 percent, Other plastics at 15 percent, and HDPE containers at eight percent”.

The Commission said that even though Dominica stands out as the only member state in the region with a dedicated curbside collection system for recyclables, the findings reveal limited participation of residents in the island’s curbside recycling collection initiative.

The study found some consistency in the waste composition hierarchy between the 2023 and 2002 studies. However, there are notable changes, including a decrease in organics (45 to 24 percent) and an increase in plastics (16 to 24 percent).

“These shifts underscore evolving waste patterns influenced by global trends in manufacturing and consumption.”

From August 21 – 25, last year, the Grenada Waste Characterization Exercise focused on understanding plastic waste composition within Grenada’s municipal solid waste stream. The findings reveal that plastic waste constitutes 18 percent of the total waste sampled, with film plastics as a significant contributor, constituting 47 percent of the plastic waste, followed by other plastics at 16 percent, clear PET containers at 15 percent, and HDPE containers at 13 percent.

“Grenada’s plastic waste for the previous year was approximately 7,235 tonnes.

A direct comparison between Grenada and Dominica reveals striking similarities in plastic waste composition. Both member states share film plastics as the dominant component, reflecting everyday economic activities, tourism influences, and reliance on plastic-packaged imported goods,” the Commission said.

It said when compared to the other Recycle OECS participating member states, namely St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica’s plastic composition at 24 percent showcases similarities with St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

“Grenada’s plastic waste composition is relatively lower at 18 percent. However, the plastic waste generation of all four territories is comparatively higher than the global average for upper-middle-income countries, emphasizing the common challenge of plastic waste in the region.

“The findings from Grenada and Dominica’s waste characterization studies have far-reaching implications for the OECS region and beyond. Notably, both nations surpass global averages of 12 percent. They both exceed the average for other upper-middle-income countries where plastic waste constitutes 11 percent, shedding light on the challenges small island developing states face,” the Commission added.

Grenada and Dominica have embraced a collaborative “twinning” arrangement involving knowledge exchange, research and data sharing, possible resource pooling, a joint approach for public education and awareness, and active collaboration during project implementation.

The goal is to develop a replicable model that can be easily adapted to suit the circumstances of other OECS member states and document a case study for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Recycle OECS is funded by the European Union under the EU-Caribbean partnership for cooperation in the field of circular economy and solid waste management and implemented by the OECS Commission in collaboration with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).