The public is being asked to provide feedback on the draft National Solid Waste Management Strategy (NSWMS) “the Strategy” for the Cayman Islands beginning October 26th.
The consultation period of 26 October to 30 November, 2015 allows the public to offer input and feedback on the future waste management options that will be considered in order to develop an integrated solid waste management system for the country.

The Health Ministry’s solid waste management consultants AMEC Foster Wheeler have been working with the Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS) Steering Committee to produce the draft strategy.

Jim Schubert, Senior Project Manager for the Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS) advised that the purpose of the Strategy is to provide key policies and objectives for the future management of solid waste and the delivery of an Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS) within the Cayman Islands.

It also identifies important steps and actions that will be taken to deliver the ISWMS and in so doing, address the current unsatisfactory landfill situation. These actions will be targeted to improve the sustainability of all waste management practices, make increased use of waste as a resource, and ensure the protection of the environment and amenity of the islands.

The future collection, treatment and disposal of waste in Cayman Islands will be underpinned by the National Solid Waste Management Policy (NSWMP) “the Policy” which has been established by the CIG. This sets out the vision, values and strategic directions for the delivery of a new ISWMS following a public consultation exercise undertaken in June/July 2015.

Long and short listed options for change and improvement in the way that waste is managed on the islands have been systematically appraised to develop options that the CIG will seek to develop and deliver as part of the implementation of the Strategy. These options cover a variety of areas ranging from recycling depot provisions through to the treatment of the residual waste that remains after recycling.

The options collectively contribute to the enhanced sustainability of waste management practices; waste reduction; increased reuse and recycling; the recovery of energy from residual waste; substantially reduced dependence on increasingly expensive and unsustainable landfills; protection of the environment; self-sufficiency as far as this is pragmatically deliverable; and the polluter pays principle.

The options analysis has also facilitated the development of a reference project that shows that the aspirations and aims encompassed within the Policy can be attained and provides approximate costs associated with key elements of the reference project delivery.

Interested persons are encouraged to visit www.ministryofhealth.gov.ky to review the draft National Solid Waste Management Strategy. Open House sessions are being planned by the Ministry for the week of November 16th to meet with members of the public and get their feedback and comments on the draft Strategy.

National Solid Waste Management Strategy

Frequently Asked Questions: FAQ’s

What is the purpose of the National Solid Waste Management Strategy (NSWMS)?

It sets out key policies and objectives for the future management of solid waste and the delivery of an Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS) within the Cayman Islands. It also identifies important steps and actions that will be taken to deliver the ISWMS. These actions will be targeted to improve the sustainability of waste management practices, make increased use of waste as a resource and ensure the protection of the environment and amenity of the islands.

What exactly is an Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS)?

According to United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP),” Integrated Solid Waste Management refers to the strategic approach to sustainable solid wastes covering all sources and aspects, covering generation, transfer, sorting, treatment, recovery and disposal in an integrated manner, with an emphasis on maximising resource use efficiency”.

What is the proposed Reference Project for the Future ISWMS?

The Reference Project comprises the waste management options that have been assessed as having the most potential for fulfilling the vision, values and strategic directions established by the National Solid Waste Management Policy (NSWMP) and which are likely to be successful in the unique setting of the Cayman Islands. The Reference Project will be the basis for the Outline Business Case (OBC) work and future ISWMS and comprises the following:

• Waste reduction measures – including waste education and pragmatic waste minimisation initiatives (e.g. home composting/ material return schemes such as bottles, plastic bag charges);
• The reuse and refurbishment of bulky waste, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE);
• Early delivery of community recycling depots and Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) facilities;
• Transfer and bulking facilities (one per island);
• The windrow composting of yard/garden waste from landscaper’s and HWRC’s (in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac);
• The potential introduction of kerbside yard and garden waste collection (post 2020);
• The potential introduction of kerbside dry recyclable collections with a Materials Recovery Facility (post 2020);
• The treatment of residual waste in a waste recovery plant (Waste to Energy Facility-CHP enabled is used as an example of this);
• Provision for potential for landfill mining at George Town landfill subject to feasibility (with a mechanical treatment plant); and
• Closure of landfills on Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.

 

What is the main objective of the ISWMS?

The main objective is to have a national system in place that will incorporate the Waste Hierarchy as outlined below in the following diagram:-

The Waste Hierarchy is at the heart of the modern approach to managing waste. The hierarchy firstly focuses on waste reduction, and then examines each subsequent option before disposal as follows:

 

• Reduction – Using less material in design and manufacture, keeping products for longer, re-use, using less hazardous materials;
• Re-use – Checking, cleaning, repairing, refurbishing, repair, whole items or spare parts;
• Recycling – Turning waste into a new substance or product and includes composting;
• Recovery – Energy is recovered from waste through a variety of methods such as thermal treatment and gasification; and
• Disposal – Landfill

 

What international framework shall guide the development of the ISWMS?

As an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, the Cayman Islands’ policy and strategy will be guided by the Waste Framework Directive of the European Commission (directive 2008/98/ED) which sets out the basic concepts, definitions and principles related to waste management. Waste legislation and policy of the EU Member states, such as the United Kingdom, shall apply as a priority order the waste management hierarchy outlined in the directive of: prevention, reuse, recycling, recovery and disposal.

What policy principles will be followed by the NSWMS and the ISWMS?

The NSWMS and ISWMS options collectively contribute to: Sustainable Management, Waste Hierarchy, Polluter / Waste Generator Pays Concept, Environmental Considerations, Climate Change, Generation Proximity and Incorporate the Best Practicable Environmental Option.

How does this NSWMS fit into the overall work being done towards an Integrated Solid Waste Management System – where are we now?

The steps toward ISWMS must respect the rights and responsibilities specified in the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility (FFR) and the revised Public Management and Finance Law (PMFL). The FFR ensures effective medium-term planning, to ensure that the full impact of fiscal decisions is understood, by: putting value for money considerations at the heart of the decision making process, the effective management of risk, and delivering improved accountability in all public sector operations.

• Completed: Pre Procurement Stage: Preparation of a Strategic Outline Case (SOC)
• Completed: RFP for Procurement of Consultants
• Completed: National Solid Waste Management Policy (NSWMP) – Finalized and being published
• Completed: Environmental Investigations Report on the existing landfills on the islands, where the NSWMS incorporates recommendations made in the Environmental Investigations Report
• Completed: Draft National Solid Waste Management Strategy including short list of Options
• Due in December 2015: Preparation of the Outline Business Case (OBC)
• Due in first quarter 2016: Procurement of ISWMS
• 2017/18: Contract & Performance Management – Implementation Phase / Project Delivery
• System Evaluation
• Drafting of legislation / Amending Existing Legislation

Where can the public obtain further information?

The public can obtain further information by doing the following:-

• Visiting the Ministry of Health & Culture website at ministryofhealth.gov.ky or Facebook page
• Emailing the Ministry of Health at h&[email protected]
• Telephoning (345) 244-2377

Purpose of this Report

This document is the draft National Solid Waste Management Strategy for the Cayman Islands. It sets out key policies and objectives for the future management of solid waste and the delivery of an Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS) within the Cayman Islands. It also identifies important steps and actions that will be taken to deliver the ISWMS. These actions will be targeted to improve the sustainability of waste management practices, make increased use of waste as a resource and ensure the protection of the environment and amenity of the islands.

Overview

Each year over 60,000 tons (short tons) of solid waste is produced on the Cayman Islands. The majority of this waste is produced on Grand Cayman (62,386t in 2014) with smaller quantities managed on Cayman Brac (est. 2,240t in 2014) and Little Cayman (est. 200t in 2014).

The vast majority of solid waste produced on the Cayman Islands is disposed of in three landfills that are operated by the Department of Environmental Health (DEH). These are located on Grand Cayman (George Town), Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. George Town landfill is by far the largest of these facilities and has been in continuous use since the mid 1960’s. Records indicate that the landfill on Cayman Brac has been in operation since the 1970’s and landfill on Little Cayman since the early 1990’s. However the Cayman Islands Government (CIG) recognises that there are strong drivers to change solid waste management practices
with increasing pressure to minimise the overall amount of waste produced and to be more responsible in the way that the waste that is produced is then managed in a sustainable way

The future collection, treatment and disposal of waste in Cayman Islands will be underpinned by the National
Solid Waste Management Policy which has been established by the CIG. This sets out the vision values, and strategic direction for the delivery of a new ISWMS following a public consultation exercise undertaken in June/July 2015.

Long and short listed options for change and improvement in the way that waste is managed on the islands have been systematically appraised to develop options that the CIG will seek to develop and deliver as part of the implementation of the National Solid Waste Management Strategy (NSWMS). These options cover a variety of areas ranging from recycling depots through-out provisions through to the treatment of the residual waste that remains after recycling. These options collectively contribute to:

The enhanced sustainability of waste management practices;

Waste reduction;

Increased reuse and recycling;

The recovery of energy from residual waste;

Substantially reduced dependence on increasingly expensive and unsustainable landfill;

Protection of environment;

Self-sufficiency as far as this is pragmatically deliverable; and

The polluter pays principle.

The options analysis has also facilitated the development of a reference project that shows that the aspirations and aims encompassed within the National Solid Waste Management Policy (NSWMP) and strategic waste management objectives can be attained and approximate costs associated with key elements of reference project delivery.

The Reference Project

The reference project comprises the waste management options that have been assessed as having the most potential for fulfilling the vision; values, and strategic direction established by the NSWMP and which

are likely to be successful in the unique setting of the Cayman Islands. The purpose of developing a reference project can be two-fold:

1. To show that the NSWMP can be delivered by a particular solution and the estimated cost of doing so (demonstrating that the objectives are attainable and so that the affordability of their delivery can be assessed), without constraining any future procurement/delivery options (allowing innovation within the market). Most commonly the lowest cost option that meets the NSWMP and CIG objectives is selected for this purpose.

2. Alternatively, the reference project can be used to define the solution that best fits the NSWMP, CIG
objectives and affordability criteria and sets out clearly that this is what the CIG intends to deliver (i.e. the that CIG will go to market for a specific technology/solution). This may not be the lowest cost option and can include specific criteria with particular local significance (e.g. political commitment, site constraints).

In summary the reference project comprises the following:

Waste reduction measures – including waste education and pragmatic waste minimisation initiatives (e.g., home composting/ material return schemes such as bottles);

The reuse and refurbishment of bulky waste;

Community recycling depots and HWRC recycling facilities;

Transfer and bulking facilities (one per island);

The windrow composting of yard/garden waste from landscapers’ and HWRC’s;

The potential introduction of kerbside yard and garden waste (post 2020)

The potential introduction of kerbside dry recyclable collections with a Materials Recovery
Facility (post 2020); and

The treatment of residual waste in a waste recovery plant (Waste to Energy Facility-CHP
enabled is used as an example of this).

The table below sets out how this reference project described performs against the vision, values and strategic directions set out the National Solid Waste Management Policy (NSWMP). The reference project exhibits a high degree of compatibility with the NSWMP and demonstrates that vision, values and strategic directions can be delivered by an integrated waste management solution.