THE Ali administration’s effort to improve solid-waste management is not just a technical issue. It is a crucial test of whether Guyana’s economic change will also lead to a better way of living and taking care of our environment.
The proposed Integrated Solid Waste Management Bill focuses on modern landfills, standard operations, and strict monitoring. This signals a long-overdue break from the careless dumping that has affected communities from the coast to the interior.
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Priya Manickchand is correct to say that national development cannot rest on a foundation of trash. Rapid growth in housing, construction, and business has increased both the amount and complexity of waste. Yet, for decades, policy responses have been slow and scattered. The current proposal is different in its ambition and structure. It creates a comprehensive framework that connects how households store waste, how neighbourhoods separate and collect it, and how the state eventually disposes of or recycles it in safe facilities.
New standards for storing waste, separating recyclables, managing construction debris and hazardous materials, and clear responsibilities for apartment complexes and commercial properties show a significant shift from “best effort” to enforceable accountability. The proposed fines and potential jail time for serious violations send a strong message: littering and illegal dumping are not minor issues; they harm public health, tourism, and local pride. Also important is the focus on abandoned vehicles, scrap metal, tyres, used oil, and biomedical waste. These have long blocked drains, harmed landscapes, and endangered ecosystems.
The bill importantly views waste not only as a burden, but also as a resource. Its support for waste-to-energy and waste-to-fertiliser technologies, along with models designed for the capabilities of individual Neighbourhood Democratic Councils, connects waste management with local economic growth and energy resilience. This approach recognises that a community that values waste is more likely to handle it responsibly.
However, just having legislation won’t clean up Guyana. Success will rely on ongoing investment in infrastructure, building capacity in local authorities, consistent enforcement, and, most importantly, changing how citizens and businesses behave. This is what makes this bill important. It lays the legal groundwork for a national cultural shift—from viewing garbage as someone else’s problem to understanding that every bag poorly stored, every tyre dumped, and every overflowing bin undermines our progress.
Guyana has a chance to demonstrate that rapid growth and environmental care can coexist. By adopting this new solid-waste management system, the country can ensure that its skylines rise while avoiding the collapse of its drains, waterways, and communities under the weight of their own waste.