As the range and number of waste materials continue to grow and with the shared vision and objective to reduce 50% of the total waste generated across Tobago by 2025; the Tobago Recycling Resource Initiative (TRRI) continues to encourage communities to practice the three R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle, and separate their recyclables into specially designated bins for collection and processing.

Working towards making Tobago one of the first Zero Waste to landfill island state beyond 2025, Managing Director of the Recycling Waste and Logistics (RWL) Limited, Shawn C. Roberts, explained that TRRI began pilot testing curbside pickup in Tobago East however, there are plans to expand to Tobago West.

“We started pilot testing curbside pickup in July 2021 in the villages of Speyside, Charlotteville, Roxborough, and Delaford. In fact, we did a waste characterization survey with the engagement of URP trainees to work within their communities,” he said.

“The intension is to continue rolling out the program in additional Eastern villages such as Betsy’s Hope, Kendell, Argyle and Louis D’or with the intention to start in the major villages in the West. In a nutshell, this year will focus on covering the Eastern side of Tobago first followed by major villages in the West side of Tobago.” 

Currently, curbside pickup is one day weekly and recyclables including plastic bottles, metal cans, tetra paks, glass bottles, cardboard and newspaper are recycled at TRRI Recycling Centre in Shaw Park. TRRI is a public-private partnership program between the Tobago House of Assembly, Environment Management Agency iCARE, Green Fund, and Recycling Waste and Logistics Ltd.