The government is actively looking at ways to transform the “deplorable” state of the Corito landfill site, according to Anguilla’s natural resources minister.
“There’s much to be done,” Kyle Hodge said during an interview on Radio Anguilla on 6 June. “We have an unsustainable system that we need to remedy as fast as possible.”
Anguilla’s only government-run landfill, which processes an average of 9,587 tonnes of waste a year, is situated in the south of the island on Corito Road near Corito Bay.
Over the years the large site has been the focus of various infrastructure upgrades to improve waste management and reduce pollution risks.
However, despite efforts, the Corito landfill continues to face significant challenges, including fire risks and the threat of waste being displaced during strong winds.
These issues are compounded by public health concerns such as fly infestations and persistent odour, alongside environmental challenges including air pollution, and soil and groundwater contamination.
Zero waste
In May, Hodge attended a ‘Zero Waste in the Caribbean’ seminar in St Barts which brought together representatives from the region’s French, Dutch, and British territories.
The event saw attendees sign a shared commitment to strengthen cooperation in building sustainable waste management solutions.
The minister said the experience proved to be valuable exposure to the possibilities of transitioning from traditional landfill to use of a circular economy model.
During the sponsored trip, Anguilla’s team visited the territory’s waste to energy facility, where household waste is incinerated to generate energy for desalination.
They also observed St Barts’ organised sorting, composting and recycling practices.
“My eyes were opened,” Hodge said, adding: “They don’t have a system like us, where we take our household waste and we put it on the ground, and we then cover it with mud, cover it with dirt.”
In progress
The natural resources minister told Radio Anguilla that transforming the Carito landfill is something that should not “wait five years down the road”.
He said his ministry is “actively researching and looking to see how we can put the necessary proposals in place” to create a waste to energy facility.
Hodge said he has already spoken to the chair of the board of ANGLEC about the project and said they are keen to explore the opportunity with the government.
“I can see that happening pretty soon,” the minister said, adding that he can see Carito being transformed from what it is today within five years.
“I am looking at it from a standpoint of the environment, and I’m keen and eager to get this done, and my colleagues and technocrats are excited about where we can go with transforming the landfill,” he said.
