The Saint Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority (SLSWMA), has halted all garbage disposal activities at the Vieux Fort landfill.

A process of covering has commenced, where various layers of soil is being spread across the landfill in an effort to start the capping and decommissioning process. To ensure minimum disruptions to the general public, refuse collection days and times will remain the same from Dennery South through to Soufriere.

All household and commercial waste will be trucked to a specialized building on the existing Vieux Fort landfill location. The waste will then be transferred into 45-foot, walk in floor containers, and transported to the Deglos landfill. 

Laurianus Lesfloris, Deputy General Manager at the SLSWMA, said there was much skepticism and fears of increased costs to the business community with the imminent closure of the site. He said that while there are no cost implications to the business community, there are restrictions on the materials and quantities that will be accepted, as the trucks transport three loads of waste to the Deglos Landfill, daily.

This is the first phase toward a landfill free Saint Lucia by 2030. The second phase commences in February 2020, and involves the introduction of pyrolysis units specially designed for the disintegration of waste much closer to the various collection points.