State Secretary Stientje van Veldhoven during her visit to Bonaire in July 2019 took a selfie with the containers where people can deposit recyclables.
THE HAGUE--State Secretary of Infrastructure and Water Management Stientje van Veldhoven announced on Tuesday that she will be assisting Bonaire with the improving of solid waste management for which she has allocated 2.78 million euros in financial support.
The public entity Bonaire has received the financial aid to assist with separated waste collection and recycling of re-usable material. This project is much needed because currently 88 per cent of solid waste is deposited at the landfill. This is not environmentally friendly and is unsustainable for the future.
Special waste collection trucks will be financed from the Dutch contribution, as well as a compressing machine for separated recyclables from the business sector, an improved collection of harmful materials such as paint and batteries, the collection of used oil products from businesses, and an assessment how to expand the collection of separated household waste.
“Dumping waste is not a future-proof route – not for the environment, not for a healthy island,” said Van Veldhoven, who visited the Caribbean Netherlands in July 2019. “In Bonaire too, we will work towards a circular economy where we recycle and reuse as much waste as possible.”
Van Veldhoven said that while it was good that a start was made with establishing facilities where people can drop off their recyclables and by using less single-use plastics, much more needed to happen.
“We will keep supporting the Caribbean Netherlands in this. The trucks, the compressing machine and working towards the separated collection of household waste are necessary steps for a cleaner Bonaire,” she stated.
Bonaire Island Governor Edison Rijna said he was very happy with the support of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Waste Management to improve waste management. “This is a fantastic example of cooperation between Bonaire and the Dutch government. With these allocated funds, we can take a next step in creating a waste-free and clean Bonaire.”
Recyclables from businesses, such as paper and carton, plastic, glass and metals, including cans, are already collected separately. The objective is to also start the separation of waste from households in 2021. St. Eustatius and Saba are already much farther ahead with separation and recycling of solid waste, where a system has already been in place for several years.
In July 2019, Van Veldhoven visited Bonaire to close a large, illegal landfill and to sign an agreement to phase out single-use plastic in the Caribbean Netherlands. In Bonaire, the drafting of legislation for a single-use plastic ban is in the final stage. In Saba, single-use plastic bags will be forbidden per January 1, 2021, with a phasing out of other plastics in the course of next year.
State Secretary Van Veldhoven noted that less single-use plastic is an important step in keeping the islands clean, preventing the plastic soup in the oceans and protecting nature on the islands, as well as the coral reefs that surround them.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management supports environmental management in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. This includes more sustainable solid waste management. In total, the ministry is investing 10 million euros over the period 2013-2023.
