Yesterday, Minister of Local Government, Norman Whitaker, handed over bicycles to litter pickers operating at the Haags Bosch landfill site.According to the Minister,Wholesale NHL Jerseys, the small but significant donation is to show appreciation for the contribution made by the litter pickers. The donation also coincided with the launch of the Ministry’s Solid Waste management campaign.“We need to acknowledge the contribution of the waste pickers and at the same time we need to look at the progress we would have made since our last meeting at this site.”Local Government Minister Norman Whitaker (right) and Mr. Gordon Gilkes, Head of the Solid Waste Management Program during a tour of the landfill site yesterday.During yesterday’s forum the Minister noted that in spite of all the challenges in the implementation phases of the site the Ministry has made significant progress.“This is a work in progress; we need to be reminded that this is a model that we are developing and we are hoping that this can be replicated in the other nine regions and we have already started taking steps in this direction,Wholesale Football Jerseys,” the Minister noted.Junior Minister of Finance Juan Edghill who was also present at the forum, lauded the efforts of the litter pickers, noting that this new site has changed the dynamics of solid waste management.“We have to change the mentality where we had junkies in the past. We have a well implemented waste pickers programme and it’s improving the lives of people and bringing in income for many,” Edghill noted.Further, the Junior Minister stated that it is his hope that the media will seek to understand and promote the dynamics of what is taking place and ensure that the correct information is passed about the changes taking place in solid waste management.“This site is not just another dump site. We have to be able to move from the mentally of having too much garbage and just dumping it, but the management of solid waste is important and it will be with us for as long as we live.”He added that when a country is developing when people have greater access to money and they are having more disposable income, the level of sophistication, including can foods and bottle products, waste will be generated at a faster rate.“Gone are the days when people cooked from their kitchen garden, we have boxed foods,Wholesale China Jerseys, cardboard, because of packages and other commodities that are coming in,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, hence we had to discuss solid waste management in the context of what is evolving as a country develops and we had to deal with the issue of recycling,” Edghill pointed out.He added that the issue of recycling is being addressed at all levels in a more aggressive way. Edghill said that while the litter pickers have been efficient in extracting scrap metals for export, there is still the issue of plastic bottle and cans for recycling.“But even before it reaches to the dump there must be a level of thinking at the household level… ends of food cans, bottle and paper must be disposed into one receptacle…in the campaign these kinds of discussion will come up,Wholesale China Jerseys,” Edghill stressed.Nevertheless Edghill added that the contractor for the site has done an excellent job as they have received good reports from international bodies which have been monitoring the progress of the site, including a team from the donor agency- the IDB.Photo saved in server Thursday as BicycleCaption: Minister of Local Government Norman Whitaker handing over a bicycle to one of the litter pickers, in the presence of Junior Minister of Finance Juan Edghill and Mr. Gordon Gilkes, Head of the Solid Waste Management Programme.