A nine-year-old schoolgirl’s call for a “beautiful Barbados” has prompted the government to roll out a nationwide clean-up campaign, starting next month with a bulky waste collection drive, Minister of Environment Adrian Forde announced on Friday.
The theme of the national clean-up drive is One Nation — One Mission — One Clean Up, inspired by the plea of nine-year-old Naomi Riley Dummett, who in June urged leaders to create a “beautiful Barbados” for her generation and those to come.
Forde told reporters that Naomi’s remarks during the St George leg of the Ideas Forum town hall meeting provided “food for thought and inspired not only the prime minister but the entire government” to take action.
“I want to thank her for having the courage, the fortitude, and the voice of advocacy to say that,” Forde said. “Government must lead the charge, but not only lead the charge, it must have a partnership with the people in order to facilitate this beautiful Barbados that she imagined.”
He added: “Barbados must be recognised as a clean and green hub . . .cleanliness is next to godliness.”
The first phase of the initiative begins with a bulky waste collection for residents over the weekend of September 6 to 7. A dedicated hotline will be launched for households to arrange the disposal of old mattresses, furniture and other large items.
“This is for residents only . . . not for businesses,” Forde said.
The campaign will also tackle illegal dumping in gullies, which he described as a “horror” undermining the island’s climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.
The programme is to be ongoing, with additional clean-up drives planned for Christmas, Easter and summer, alongside park rehabilitation, sargassum and waste removal from beaches, tree-planting competitions and community gardening contests.
“We must be able to have a clean, green and healthy Barbados,” the minister said.
National Clean-Up Coordinator Neil Gilkes said the campaign will involve collaboration across ministries and agencies, including the Sanitation Service Authority, the National Conservation Commission, the Ministry of Transport and Works, the Environmental Protection Department and the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Civic groups, schools and corporate sponsors will also take part.
Residents will be advised to place bulky waste appropriately for collection on September 6 to 7. Public education on waste separation and disposal will be carried out through traditional media, flyers, social media and direct community outreach.
Gilkes confirmed that hotline numbers 262-5326 and 262-5327 will be available for inquiries, with updates also posted on the Environment Barbados social media pages. Households will receive advance notice regarding pick-up schedules.
Dummett had a simple yet powerful message for her peers and all Barbadians: “You guys need to pick up your garbage.”
(SZB)
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