The Maraval river winds its way through Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad & Tobago, reaching the sea at Invaders Bay, the evocative name of the site where British troops landed in the late 18th
Plastic waste is shredded before being turned into lumber at a factory in Arima, Trinidad
An international plastics treaty
From 23 to 29 April, delegates from around the world are meeting in Ottawa, Canada, to continue negotiations on the development of a legally binding agreement that will bring the international community closer to finally being able to get to grips with plastic pollution, particularly in the marine environment.
Speaking at the opening session of the meeting, Inger Andersen, the head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), expressed her hope that the talks will lead to a reduction in the production of problematic waste, and more investment in solid waste management and recycling.
Ms. Mahabir agreed with these aims and added that, on top of education, more research and development investment is needed to create alternatives to the kinds of plastics that are ubiquitous in most societies.
“Maybe there’s some plant, some tropical tree or fruit that could be converted into a biodegradable plastic. We want to encourage the younger generation to consider taking up the sciences that are required to develop these potential alternatives.
Until then, we have to find ways to deal with the problem, and this is what our programmes are addressing. We also need to address the economic angle; there’s a lot of unemployment in Trinidad, and we want to see if upcycling can generate jobs. Every piece of furniture built in the plastic lumber factory has been sold, helping to support more livelihoods. I hope that an agreement can be reached in Ottawa, one that encourages the private sector to invest more in recycling, and funds ways to effectively clean up and capture plastic waste pollution”.