Georgetown: The Georgetown Solid Waste Management Programme has embarked on a community based outreach that seeks to educate residents about the benefits of composting to both the environment and individual citizens.
According to Waste Management Specialist attached to the programme, Rufus Lewis, the composting project kicked off in Mocha with theoretical discussions and will soon be followed by practical activities.
He said the stakeholders involved in the project include representatives from the Neighbourhood Democratic Council, schools, farmers and householders.
Lewis said the participants are enthusiastic about learning the new techniques of gardening. Currently, they are constructing a tent to protect the compost materials from harsh weather conditions and levelling the ground.
Composting is the breaking down of organic biodegradable materials that are compiled and added to enhance the richness of soil for planting.
As such, the project encourages all participants to store up their kitchen and yard waste such as vegetable skins, dry leaves, weeded grass and animal manure.
This process ensures that community residents do not dispose of organic waste into the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill Site.
Not only does it take up the much valuable space at the site when it can be put to use, but organic waste in landfills also “generates methane gas, which is 21 times more injurious than carbon dioxide”, the waste management specialist pointed out.
Lewis is also urging all farmers to reduce their use of chemical fertilizers on their crops and employ the method of composting, since fertilizers are harmful to the environment.
“They cannot stop using it all together, especially if they have large scale farms but farmers have a tendency of using too much fertilizers sometimes and these are leached into canals and drains, killing fish and contaminating the streams”.
Two central locations in Mocha and Mocha Arcadia have been chosen as training grounds to carry out composting activities and teach residents new techniques. Tools and materials, when needed, will also be provided to perform the composting activities.
New sessions are also being held in Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara and Caledonia, East Bank Demerara.
Clean and Green Guyana is an initiative that falls under the purview of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and is funded by he Inter-American Development Bank.
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