A COMMUNITY-BASED composting programme that could divert up to 50 per cent of biodegradable waste currently destined for the dump site at the entrance to Linden’s Blue Lake has received the backing of municipal leaders, marking a significant step in efforts to address one of Region Ten’s most pressing environmental concerns.
Waste To Wealth Caribbean and its official execution partner, Outliers Zone Caribbean, recently met with Linden Town Clerk, Lennox Gasper and Deputy Mayor Wainwright Bethune to conduct a live composting demonstration and present a sustainable waste management model designed to reduce landfill-bound organic waste.
According to a press release, both municipal officials welcomed the Waste To Wealth Train-the-Trainer Composting Programme and expressed strong support for the initiative, describing it as a practical, community-driven solution to the growing challenge of waste disposal in the mining town.
Mayor Dominique Blair, who is currently on leave, also endorsed the initiative during a telephone conversation, reaffirming the municipality’s collective support for efforts aimed at improving environmental sustainability in Linden.
The endorsement represents the first formal municipal backing for the Waste To Wealth movement outside Georgetown and advances the organisation’s broader goal of establishing composting champion communities across Guyana’s ten administrative regions.
Following the engagement, Waste To Wealth Caribbean announced that Region Ten’s first Train-the-Trainer composting certification programme would be held on Thursday at the Guymine Constabulary Recreation Hall and Club. The session forms part of the organisation’s signature T.E.C.H. Composting Method, which teaches participants how to convert household kitchen waste and cardboard into nutrient-rich Organic Miracle Garden Soil (O.M.G.S.) using a simple two-bucket composting system.
The programme is designed to make composting accessible to ordinary households while creating opportunities for environmental stewardship and income generation. Participants receive a complete backyard composting kit, practical training, ongoing technical support over a 12-week period, and the opportunity to harvest their first batch of compost for personal use or sale.
Upon successfully completing the programme, participants become eligible for certification as Waste To Wealth Trainers and can earn income by mentoring additional households through the composting process.
Founder of Waste To Wealth Caribbean, Rampertab Etwaria, said the initiative seeks to transform the way communities view waste management.
“The dumping site does not have to be the final destination for our wealth,” Etwaria said. “Every family in Linden can take responsibility and become part of this sustainable solution.”
The organisation has also extended invitations to the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Regional Executive Officer, and members of the private sector to support the programme through sponsorships and corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Since launching its public education campaign in April 2026, Waste To Wealth Caribbean said it has engaged 57 families in Georgetown and surrounding communities. The initiative has also received endorsements from the EPA, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown, and landfill management authorities following the successful observance of Guyana’s first International Compost Awareness Week in May.
The organisation’s long-term objective is to reduce biodegradable waste sent to landfills by 25 per cent by 2030 through the development of 1,000 Waste To Wealth Champion Families across Guyana.
Outliers Zone Caribbean, which has been appointed the official execution partner for the Region Ten expansion, will provide project implementation support, stakeholder engagement, public relations, and community mobilisation services as the initiative expands beyond the capital.
Waste To Wealth Caribbean said the programme offers a sustainable and scalable approach to waste reduction while empowering citizens to play a direct role in environmental protection and community development.
