Solid waste management policy validated |03 January 2014

The Seychelles Solid Waste Management Policy 2014-2018 was validated on Tuesday during a consultative stakeholders’ workshop involving different relevant organisations in the country.
 
The policy provides a complete re-think of the waste management sector in Seychelles.
 
The new policy covers the period 2014-2018. Cliff Gonzalves, a local consultant, was recruited to revise the existing policy for waste management in Seychelles.

The Solid Waste Management Policy 2014-2018 takes into account the development in the sector and future actions in the next five years.  These actions while harmonising with the objectives of the Seychelles Sustainable Development Strategy (SSDS) will be sensitive to subsequent changes that have occurred in the sector over the last five years and the general global outlook. The policy will then be submitted to the cabinet of ministers for approval.

The policy covers only the main islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue where the majority of the population resides. Discussions covered the following areas: waste minimisation, waste collection, recycling, recovery and final disposal. It also included the management of hazardous wastes, the institutional framework, capacity building, and education.

The validation workshop was opened by environment and energy principal secretary Wills Agricole who said that Seychelles faces serious environmental challenges and the government has never been in denial over this.

“Improper disposal of wastes at bin sites and roadsides, air pollution are increasing day by day. Our landfills are filling up. There is now a large volume of effluent being received daily for only preliminary treatment, and unfortunately some I would say are being discharged at times into some of our lagoons and this has caused air quality to be our big concern over the past few years. So there is a need for government to tighten emission controls on the utility company, and other industries so as to work closely with them to find solutions to common problems. We all have a role to play in improving air quality. Good air quality will not appear out of the blue – we must work and act together,” said Mr Agricole.

He added that solid waste disposal remains a big challenge for us. “If we don't take action to reduce waste, our landfills will be full again. And then what? Suitable land is a scarce commodity in Seychelles. More important, solid waste disposal is only an end-of-pipe solution. It is not sustainable. We need to do more to treasure and conserve our resources. And that means not avoiding the reducing, reusing, recycling and sorting and treating of wastes. Our landfills should be the last resort for our unavoidable solid waste, not the first port of call for most of it,” noted PS Agricole.

Mr Agricole added that the policy framework (2014-2018) for the management of solid waste in Seychelles sets out a comprehensive strategy for municipal solid waste management over the next five years and marks the start of a new process to attain sustainable waste management in the country.

The core message of the policy framework is clear and simple: every one of us must be responsible for what we produce, supply, consume and dispose of.

“The business sector, for example, has a responsibility to minimise the environmental impact of their products. They should rethink the way they approach a product – from design to packaging and finally, disposal. Products should be designed to generate less waste and ease recycling.

“As individuals, we also have a responsibility to reduce waste and share the cost of handling the waste we produce. We should pause and reconsider our consumption-driven lifestyle. We should adopt good environmental habits. For example, choose green alternatives if at all possible: take a reusable bag when shopping, separate waste at source before disposal,” said Mr Agricole.

The policy integrated previous actions, example the Waste Free Seychelles Initiative and consider the future of PET and aluminium can recycling schemes as well as proposed measures for other recyclables, waste batteries, used oil among others.
 
It took into account the following:

•    Emerging and established international policies, for example the waste hierarchy, producer responsibility, polluter pay principle and apply them within the context of Small Island Developing States;

•    Using solid waste projections. It defines policy actions to be undertaken in the sector over the next five years to effectively reduce solid waste to be treated;

•    Waste minimisation policies in order to reduce as far as practicable the amount of waste to be treated;

•    Waste reuse policies that are applicable to Seychelles;

•    Update policies with respect to recycling including but not limited to PET and ALU Can recycling scheme and other scheme being contemplated by the Ministry of Environment and Energy;

•    New policies which encourages resource recovery in particular anaerobic digestion, waste incineration and waste to energy recovery;

•    Household waste policy and existing strategies;

•    Commercial and industrial waste strategies;

•    Updating the existing user pay policy to ensure that the sector remains financially sustainable and ensures sustainable financing of the waste sector;

•    Update the policy with respect to enforcement of waste regulations as well as economic instruments to influence public behaviour towards waste;

•    New policies with respect to proper management of special and hazardous waste;

•    Update the policy to public outreach and information with respect to solid waste management.