Officials at the Zero Waste seminar (Minister Kyle Hodge third from left).
ANGUILLA--The Saint-Barthélemy Collective hosted the Zero Waste in the Caribbean seminar from Thursday, May 15, to Saturday, May 17, bringing together representatives from the Caribbean to strengthen cooperation on waste management and environmental protection.
Minister Kyle Hodge, along with Carencia Rouse – Director of Environment, and Danicia Hughes – Health Protection Officer, represented Anguilla. This landmark event united officials from French, Dutch and British territories to confront one of the region’s most pressing issues, waste management.
The seminar culminated in the signing of Gustavia’s Call for the Environment, a shared commitment to strengthen cooperation in building sustainable, regional waste solutions. For Anguilla, the experi-ence provided valuable exposure to the possibilities of transitioning from traditional landfill use to a circular economy model.
The Anguilla delegation visited the territory’s waste-to-energy facility where household waste is incinerated to generate energy for desalination. They also observed the organised sorting, compost-ing and recycling practices and were inspired to explore opportunities for valorisation of waste in An-guilla.
“Corito must become more than just a dumping ground. It should be a carefully managed site that embodies and encourages the 4 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover. But it all starts with separa-tion at home and at the landfill, so that we can explore the economic opportunities associated with sustainable waste management,” Hodge said. “With strategic planning and regional cooperation, the transformation of Corito can represent Anguilla’s pathway to a cleaner, greener future, where waste powers jobs, innovation and environmental health.”
Key takeaways and opportunities for Anguilla include:
* A national mindset and behavioural shift: Waste is not garbage, it’s a resource;
* The need for public education on separating waste at home and at collection points;
* Investment in waste management equipment and infrastructure;
* Exploring energy recovery and export options; and
* Seeking and securing funding from regional and international partners to accelerate progress.
