Guyana launches 1st Recycling and Composting Centre

The Local Government and Regional Development Ministry has officially launched a Recycling and Composting Centre at the Haags Bosch Landfill in Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD) marking a major step forward in Guyana’s efforts to promote sustainable waste management and environmental stewardship. The launch also marked the start of a series of structured composting training sessions, which will continue until Thursday, February 12. Speaking at the event, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Administration), Dr Josh Kanhai, highlighted the importance of the initiative and encouraged participants to engage actively in managing recyclable waste products. “Recycling is very, very important…all the waste you see around here wouldn’t be here if we had the capacity to recycle it. From the tires to the scrap [that Guyana has], to the mud and even the pebbles on the ground — it’s all recyclable. It just depends on how you see the waste and how you manage it.”

Turning his attention to composting, Dr Kanhai emphasised its value and urged participants to pay close attention during the training sessions. “Composting creates value from things we would otherwise discard…you can use it in your kitchen garden or in plant pots outside, producing organic fruits and vegetables free from herbicides or pesticides,” he stated, highlighting the benefits recycling has in agriculture. “This is a revolutionary aspect of science that we will all be learning about over the next three days. I urge you to be attentive and take as many notes as possible. This small batch is the first of its kind in Guyana and it won’t be the last. You should be proud of taking this step to learn about composting, which represents the advanced end of recycling.” The training sessions are part of a technical cooperation initiative supported by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and implemented by the Centre for Clean Air Policy (CCAP), in collaboration with ImplementaSur. The programme aims to build national and local capacity in organic waste diversion through practical, hands-on training combined with technical instruction, focusing on reducing the volume of organic waste sent to landfills and promoting environmentally responsible alternatives.

Composting workshop
During the launch, participants took part in a Ministry-led composting workshop at the Haags Bosch Landfill Site, where they actively engaged in creating compost piles using organic and market waste. This hands-on exercise allowed participants to gain practical experience in composting techniques while reinforcing the principles of organic waste management. The workshop was organised in collaboration with Recycle Organics and brought together a diverse cross-section of stakeholders from Government agencies, local authorities, educational institutions and the private sector.

The training programme is being led by composting consultant and expert, Matthew Cotton, who guided participants through feedstock evaluation and compost pile construction exercises. Materials used included wood chips, sawdust, fruit skins, vegetable peels and chicken manure, selected to demonstrate effective composting ratios and best practices. In addition to pile building, the training will include sessions on pile monitoring, organics collection systems and ongoing feedstock assessment, ensuring participants are equipped with both the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required to implement composting initiatives within their organisations and communities. Also in attendance at the launch were Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry, Miguel Choo-Kang; and Director of Sanitation, Satrohan Nauth, along with representatives from the Eccles/Ramsburg Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Stewartville/Cornelia Ida NDC, Mon Repos/La Reconnaissance NDC, Waste Solution Landfill Inc., the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Puran’s Brothers Inc, Cevons Waste Management, and the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.