Solving Jamaica's Riverton City woes

Environmental policies have been cited as being the key to solving countless problems at Riverton City in Jamaica, according to the Jamaica Observer.

The city comprises  individually-made houses that have been constructed out of whatever materials are available to its residents, and waste has become a significant problem in the area. According to two members of Jamaica's environmental lobby, recycling, coupled with other measures such as a comprehensive waste-to-energy project and composting could be the key to alleviating problems in the area.

Peter Espeut, former director of the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation, told Environment Watch: "The first thing we should do is reduce the amount of garbage that goes there (to Riverton) by having recycling. There should be no plastics going there and no paper going there and, of course, no metal."

"Ultimately, if we go seriously into reprocessing, recycling, then there will be hardly anything going to Riverton."

Espeut signalled that the solution to these problems should start at the home, with households taking greater care over their waste disposal habits and recycling. He also looked to the private sector in Jamaica to make money-making business of producing recycled paper.

Posted by Lauren Steadman