NSWMA urges residents to package garbage

Karrie Williams, Gleaner Writer

WESTMORELAND:

Regional Operations manager of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Eifer Daley, says the sight of loose garbage blowing off NSWMA trucks and on to the roadway during garbage collection will soon become a thing of the past.

"Before the end of the month, all our trucks will have tarpaulins," he told Western Focus during a recent interview.

Daley said that the issue of loose rubbish finding its way off moving NSWMA trucks should not be blamed solely on the collection agency as residents and the organisation share a combined responsibility. He said householders should work in tandem with the agency to ensure a smooth garbage-collection and disposal process.

"The general public needs to understand and appreciate the fact that the garbage needs to be properly packaged. Properly packaged means to be loaded into garbage bags and securely tied, but most of our residents are not doing that," he said.

Daley added that the NSWMA is putting measures in place to ensure trucks are not packed above a certain level.

"The position of the NSWMA in asking residents to properly bag and package their garbage is one that is also mandated by law in other parts of the world. In the United Kingdom, for example, residents who do not properly package their waste are often brought before the courts and are penalised," he said.