Presenter: Cassian Henry Organization: St Presenter: Cassian Henry Organization: St. Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority Title: Zonal Supervisor

St. Lucia National Trust Sustainable Communities Consultation March 11, 2015 Cassian Henry

Theme: Urban Sustainability Featuring Composting Models in Recycling Options(Solutions) Cassian Henry

Beneficiaries Vieux Fort Urban Community (Public and Private) Pointe Sabre Environmental Protection Agency (PSEPA) You (Audience) Our Island The Natural Environment Cassian Henry

What do you know? Define Urban Community – city or town dwelling Recycle – reuse in different form Sustain – to maintain, continue Compost – change by process Solution – answer, end of problem Cassian Henry

Facts You Must Know About Urban Compostable Waste Annually increased tonnage of compostable solid wastes disposed in landfill Animal manure pollute water catchments, rivers and streams; pig farms, poultry, etc Island-wide illegal dumping of green waste No major composting on island – households, farms, institutions, commercial, etc Compostable waste reduction and diversion on minor scale

Have You Observed Compostable Waste Problems

Have You Observed Compostable Waste Problems Cassian Henry

What We Must Do Divert compostable wastes away from the disposal facilities – landfills Increase compost use and reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers and other agrochemicals Stop illegal dumping of all wastes

Vieux Fort Disposal Site record of green waste (GW) tonnage from the entire southern half of the island (Dennery - Soufriere) for the period April 2012 - March 2014 April.12 May.12 Jun.12 Jul.12 Aug.12 Sept.12 Oct.12 Nov.12 Dec.12 Jan.13 Feb.13 Mar.13 10.2 4.5 8.3 56.9 20.6 24.2 14.6 10.3 7.61 7.9 7.04 3.8   April.13 May.13 Jun.13 Jul.13 Aug.13 Sept.13 Oct.13 Nov.13 Dec.13 Jan.14 Feb.14 Mar.14 5.9 3.9 7.4 22.1 8.8 41.4 14.4 16.3 3 17.6 31.6 20.8 Cassian Henry

Let us Compost Definition Examining some of the models Cassian Henry

Definitions Composting is the managed process of decomposing organic wastes into stable plant manure. Composting can be done Aerobically (in the presence of oxygen) OR Anaerobically (in the absence of oxygen) Cassian Henry

Compost Use Compost is used in agriculture, horticulture, home gardening, land reclamation, wetland mitigation, and erosion prevention to help rebuild soil organic matter and to provide a good medium for plant growth. Contains NKP and trace elements not found in artificial fertilizers. Cassian Henry

Composting Models Hachigame Composting : This method has potential for St. Lucia considering the centralized generation and consistent volumes of waste material. The compost product has a ready market given the emergent change in vegetable farming. Takakura Method: The beneficial and intentional use of certain bacteria to create a fertilizer compost that is a identical alternative to chemical fertilizer. The method is demonstrable using simple household kitchen material .

Composting Models 3. Livestock Compost: A method with tremendous implementation potential for St. Lucia as another viable option. This experience showed that with proper management a high quality compost can be made using animal manure and green waste. 4. Community: The sustainable operation of community-based system of farming that supports the socio-economic status of the people in that community. Good but limited scope for St. Lucia. Cassian Henry

Action Plan to Put In Place Determine annual biodegradable waste volumes and their origins at disposal facilities. Meet and discuss plan with NGO’s and CBO’s, government departments, potential interests, parliamentary representative, etc. Survey sample population of residents of large biodegradable waste volume generation origin to evaluate their awareness of composting and initial acceptance level of composting. Identify the major direct stakeholders – farmers, industry and hoteliers – and define the various biodegradable waste streams and the individual quantities. Community Sensitization/EE Decide on priority area(s) and determine resource needs to commission operation Select pilot area and commence

SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS Waste volumes to do sustainable composting is available Ready markets Longevity of disposal facilities Generation of employment Healthy populations WEAKNESSES Acceptance of the compost technologies Inter-agency capacity building and mobilization lacking Lack of explorative resources; experts, research, new technologies, etc OPPORTUNITIES Site specific type composting technologies can be implemented Collaborative corridor for organizations; NGO’s, CBO’s, etc Alternative energy source Reduced farming costs Rehabilitation of ecosystems THREATS The absence of the political will Land ownership and land use policy prohibition Support framework to ensure sustainability Tradition Quick money!

Socio-Economic Impacts The nutrient rich soil enhancer, saves the expense of purchasing many manufactured products Lower cost of production resulting in better economic return to farmers Reduced fiscal costs of waste collection services through reduced waste generation Better health for breadwinners and workers results in increased productivity nationally

It Can Be Done!!!!! Cassian Henry

Thank You For Being Attention Cassian Henry