Antigua and Barbuda’s waste management system is under increasing strain, with the Cook’s Landfill receiving up to 1,500 tires a day, raising concerns about environmental risk and whether new technology is needed to process growing volumes of discarded rubber.
Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant said Friday that tire disposal has become a significant pressure point at the island’s only official landfill.
“Daily waste at the Cook’s Landfill includes some six tons of solid waste, some 30,000 gallons of sewage, and some 1,500 tires, which are continuously brought into the site,” Merchant said during the post-Cabinet press briefing.
Unlike traditional household refuse, tires can pose a heightened fire risk and are difficult to break down naturally. The large volume arriving each day has led Cabinet to consider alternative ways of managing the growing stockpile.
Merchant said officials are evaluating options for diverting tires from the Cook’s Landfill and putting them to use in construction.
“There have been discussions on the use of Burning Flames Highway technology, where tires can be used in road construction under conditions that are environmentally sound,” he said, referring to techniques that integrate shredded tire material into road pavement.
The government is also examining broader waste-to-energy systems that can reduce the burden on the landfill and provide usable power, though Merchant said such solutions are still under review.
“Waste-to-energy technologies are being looked at in terms of longer-term strategies to help address the volume of waste that we have,” Merchant said. “Cabinet continues to assess those options.”
Antigua and Barbuda, like many Caribbean islands with limited space, faces challenges in meeting the demands of modern waste management. The tire volumes — roughly equivalent to a standard passenger car’s set of rubber every 15 minutes in a 24-hour period — make clear the scale of the problem.
The government has already taken steps to improve overall landfill operations, including the acquisition of new heavy equipment to better manage waste intake and containment at Cook’s Landfill.
“We are continuing to invest in infrastructure, including bulldozers, excavators and compactors,” Merchant said. “But we also recognize that more sustainable solutions must be part of our long-term planning.”
As deliberations continue, residents and stakeholders are watching closely to see whether the island’s waste system can evolve to meet the demands of population growth and modern environmental standards.
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There a great uses for shredded tires such as aggregate for concrete, maybe the Plant operators and Engineers could look at this. Instead of adding dangerous fumes to our communities and the larger world..:-)
The used tire sale shops should be charged a huge fee for tire disposal.
Antigua has become a dumping ground for used tires because many of these tires sold by the used tire and repair shops rejects from places like Canada and America and are not fit for purpose.
This should have been addressed many many years ago. What is the hold up. Many proposals have been send to this and the previous government. But I guess like with everything our politicians always claim to be working in best interest of the country. But nothing is further from the truth. It’s all about who will benefit. Sad but in the end he country suffers. We do not have to reinvent the wheel. Use tires are used in many countries for road construction. In the late 70s and 80s the use tire market was only serviced by a few persons. Tire Master, and I forgot the chap name that was on Old Parham Road were now Automotive Art is located. Now you have all the Syrian guys bringing in used tires. These are the culprit for so many tires finding their way to the landfill. I urge the government to stop the importation of these tires. Or to properly regulate them with high environmental fees at import. The only reason why they find their way to our Island is because they have become unusable for the European market. There standards are much higher. But we allow these substandard tires to flood our street and eventually our landfill. What is not good for them should also be not good for us.
Rattling wonderful information can be found on web site.
I wonder if it will be a huge investment to bring in a shredder and start a business. Local Antiguans should look into it.
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