OECS Commission Marks Sustainability Milestone with Loader Handover to the SLSWMA

April 24, 2024 — The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission proudly facilitated the handover of a new loader to the Saint Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority (SLSWMA) on April 23 at their facility in Deglos. This new loader, procured within the framework of the ReMLit Project funded by the Government of Norway, will be used to further the island’s waste management and recycling initiatives.

Mr. Chamberlain Emmanuel, Head of the OECS Environmental Sustainability Division, addressed the gathering, emphasizing the importance of integrating blue, green, and circular economic practices into the region's developmental strategies. He highlighted that as small island developing states, our economic and environmental health are deeply interconnected, and this new equipment represents a step forward in managing our resources more sustainably.

He stated that the OECS is “very focused on the whole issue of a blue economy, a green economy, circular economy, because our prosperity, our economic prospects, our livelihoods, all depend on ensuring we have healthy natural resources, whether it be the terrestrial resources, whether it be the marine resources, because almost every sector you consider, tourism, food security, etc., depends on those healthy natural resources.”

Mr. Davis Poleon, Zonal Supervisor at the SLSWMA, expressed his excitement about the new capabilities the loader will bring to the island's waste management efforts. He stated that the equipment was not just for waste movement but would also help transform the waste into something useful. In their waste management and compost-making exercise, it will be pivotally important and will help substantially in reducing emissions of methane.

The loader will be used in the effective operation of the SLSWMA, particularly in handling and transforming green waste into compost, which in turn supports the reduction drive of the Authority's environmental impact. The loader, which was supplied by the Rayneau Group of Companies—the largest locally-owned construction and industrial products conglomerate operating in Saint Lucia—will support regional objectives of reducing marine litter and promoting sustainable waste management.

The Commission is thankful to the Government of Norway for their funding of the Building Resilience in the Eastern Caribbean through the Reduction in Marine Litter (ReMLit) Project, which, to date, has made a significant difference in the strengthening of solid waste management infrastructure in several OECS Member States. This initiative will also benefit indirectly other regional territories by way of setting an example that ensures sustainability.

About the ReMLit Project

The Building Resilience in the Eastern Caribbean through Reduction in Marine Litter (ReMLit) Project is a 27 million Norwegian Kroner (approximately US$ 3 million) project implemented under the OECS Ocean Governance and Fisheries Programme with funding support from the Government of Norway. The ReMLit project which aims to reduce and control marine pollution in the Eastern Caribbean was launched in 2019.

The ReMLit project is pursuing three main objectives: 

These objectives support priority actions under the Eastern Caribbean Regional Ocean Policy (ECROP), an OECS-wide framework for regional coordination of sustainable development, management and conservation of ocean resources.