By Ronald Roach; Director, CREW
Across the Caribbean, the challenge of managing solid waste continues to test the region’s resilience and environmental sustainability. At Unite Caribbean, our Climate Resilience, Environment, Water and Waste (CREW) team has witnessed how the growing scale and complexity of waste management issues affect public health, ecosystems, and local economies alike. Despite advances in waste management systems over the last two decades, solid waste management remains one of the most pressing public health and environmental challenges across the Caribbean. Rapid urbanization, growing consumption patterns, increasingly complex waste composition, and limited landfill space have intensified the need for more sustainable and resilient systems.
Yet, our approach tends to be a reactive one, collecting waste and finding locations to dispose of it after it has been generated. Â This traditional approach is no longer sufficient to protect public health, safeguard natural resources, and support economic development. What is required is an integrated approach to solid waste management (ISWM) that aligns policy, technology, financing, and community engagement into a cohesive framework.
An integrated approach recognizes that waste is not just an end product to be discarded, but a resource with potential value. By adhering to the waste management hierarchy and combining waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting, energy recovery, and environmentally sound disposal, ISWM offers a pathway to transform the region’s waste sector into one that contributes to circular economy goals and climate resilience. For example, developing material recovery facilities, strengthening recycling markets, and advancing waste-to-energy opportunities, particularly through anaerobic digestion, landfill gas to energy and refuse-derived fuel, can help reduce landfill dependence while creating green jobs and stimulating innovation. In Trinidad and Tobago, for example, several companies are using plastic waste in the production of durable consumer products through a process known as plastic sequestration.
A critical element of ISWM is sustainable waste financing. Many Caribbean countries face the challenge of underfunded waste management systems that rely heavily on disbursements from the government’s consolidated fund. Financing mechanisms which support the polluter pays principle such as extended producer responsibility (EPR), deposit refund systems, advance disposal fees and user fee models, can help close these gaps. By ensuring predictable revenue streams and linking costs to actual service delivery, governments can build more financially sustainable systems while encouraging private sector investment through public-private partnerships in recycling, recovery and environmentally sound waste treatment. Sustainable financing not only improves operational efficiency but also ensures long-term viability and resilience in the face of climate and economic pressures.
Equally important as the technical side are the governance and social aspects. Strong policies, clear rules, and fair licensing are essential, but they only work if people are informed and involved. Public education and awareness campaigns help citizens understand their role in reducing and sorting waste, while partnerships with businesses can expand recycling and recovery options. When communities are actively engaged, real behavioral change takes root. At the same time, setting standards for quality and certification ensures that recycled products are trusted and widely used, which strengthens confidence in sustainable practices. The CREW department at Unite Caribbean believes that integrated waste management is not simply a technical solution, but a strategic imperative. It requires collaboration across sectors, environment, water, climate change, public health and finance, and must be embedded within national development strategies. By adopting ISWM, Caribbean countries can reduce environmental risks, strengthen resilience to climate change, and unlock new opportunities for sustainable growth.
The transition will not be without challenges, but the rewards are substantial: cleaner communities, healthier citizens, and a more resource-efficient Caribbean. The time to act is now, with integration at the heart of the region’s waste management transformation.
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