National Solid Waste Management Strategy for the Cooperative Republic of Guyana 2013-2024.

This Strategy provides the road map by which Guyana can work to reduce and better manage solid waste for purposes of protecting the health of the Guyanese people and the natural beauty of Guyana. The strategic framework will guide decision making by the government and serve as the foundation for establishing an integrated, financially self-sustaining, environmentally-sound, and socially acceptable waste and resource recovery system for Guyana. The Strategy outlines the vision of "Informed communities participating in a nation-wide, integrated, and financially self-sustaining waste management and resource recovery system that preserves public health and the environment, realises maximum value from resources, and minimises long-term costs to households, industry, and government". The National Solid Waste Strategy document consists of three separate parts. Part I contains the sustainable waste reduction and management strategy that covers the spectrum of activities involved in solid waste management. This is the most strategic of the three documents and the actions contained herein must be incorporated into the annual corporate workplans of the various lead agencies, so as to become core business of everyone involved. Part II is more operational and contains standards and procedures pertaining to the management of solid and hazardous wastes, including the generation, handling, storage, treatment, transport and disposal of all types of waste. It also establishes requirements and procedures for the issuance, monitoring and enforcement of licenses to site, construct or operate solid waste management facilities or equipment. Part III contains background information and an analysis of the solid waste sector in Guyana, which forms the basis for the preparation of Parts I and II of the Strategy. This Strategy covers all types of solid waste, from residential, commercial, institutional and industrial sources, and healthcare waste from hospitals and health centres. It also covers scrap metal, used oil, used lead acid batteries, and used electrical and electronic waste (e-waste). The Strategy does not address wastewaters and sludge (such as domestic wastewaters, sewage, and septic tank sludge), waste from industrial processes, or industrial waste from the mining sector. Exceptions to these exclusions are the wastes generated in the course of managing the other wastes that are included (such as refrigerants arising from the recycling of air conditioners and refrigerators). Successful implementation of the Strategy requires an interagency effort; however, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, through the Solid Waste Management Authority, will be responsible for overall coordination and implementation.
Three objectives or long-term outcomes have been identified, supported by six short-term goals and 44 strategic actions. The strategic framework is summarized in Table A1. The three objectives are - a cleaner environment; better public health protection; and contribute to economic prosperity. The goals include, among other things, less generation and dumping of waste, better recycling and recovery, efficient waste collection, and strengthening of human and institutional capacity. Part I sets out an overview of waste generation and composition (including, among other things, medical waste, non-compostable disposable food and beverage containers, plastic bags, hazardous waste). A mid-term evaluation of the National Solid Waste Management Strategy shall be conducted in 2019 to determine the overall progress towards achieving the targets and goals. A final evaluation of the Strategy shall also be conducted at the end of the strategy period in 2024 to provide the basis for development of the next strategy.