Financial crisis hinders recycling in UWI, Barbados

According to a study conducted in Barbados, the failing financial conditions are affecting the waste recycling efforts of University of West Indies (UWI) as well as Barbados in general.

The study was conducted between April 30 and December 30, 2013 with a conclusion that read “the major waste management challenge affecting the UWI and Barbados as a whole was limited financial resources”.

The recycling rate of the Cave Hill campus of the University, where the study was conducted, is higher than other campuses like Trinidad and Jamaica because a major initiative was taken by the authorities building 18 recycling stations across the campus for recycling plastics, glass and aluminium cans.

The stations were located near high traffic areas like the major teaching and recreational areas. This was 2009 “aimed to encourage the university’s staff and students to recycle...glass, aluminium...plastic, as well as paper and printer cartridges”, according to the study.

Although the program saw some initial success, soon challenges were noticed like contamination of the recyclables, lack of interest and most prominently, lack of resources.

The study says, “The results suggest that the key challenge facing sustainable waste management at the university and the country in general was limited financial resources. Key motivators for recycling at the UWI were its benefits to keeping the campus clean and the generation of funds. The major barriers were a lack of motivation, high bing contamination and a lack of knowledge regarding the recycling initiative,” the study concluded. (SC)