Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 11, 2020 (SKNIS): Minister of Health with responsibility for the Solid Waste Management Corporation (SWMC), Honourable Eugene Hamilton, said the bins to be distributed during the free National Bin Distribution Programme are ‘smart bins’. The SWMC will serve as the executing agency for this project with the distribution to start on Monday, March 16, 2020.
Minister Hamilton made this disclosure during his address to the nation on Tuesday, March 10, 2020.
Minister Hamilton said that, “These will not be ordinary receptacles … these will be Smart Bins, outfitted with modern technology to enhance our collection system and customer service.”
“The internationally recognised and standardised safety colour of yellow will also be featured for visibility, easier identification and accountability,” he said.
“[The bins] will have customised branding with the logo of the Solid Waste Management Corporation along with important information to guide your disposal practices. These bins are designed with unique barcodes and serial numbers to facilitate easier distribution and inventory control,” Minister Hamilton said. “Proper labelling detailing items that are permitted and those that are prohibited will be listed to direct you.”
“As a measure to prevent theft and other illegal activity, the movement of all bins will be tracked by Solid Waste, who would be in a position to determine if any is out of service or has been illegally removed from the premises to which it was allocated,” he said.
Additionally, Minister Hamilton said, “the trucks will be outfitted with new equipment that will lift the bins, emptying them into the vehicles thus making the process of garbage collection so much more efficient and thereby increasing the level of service that we provide to our residents.”
