Trinidad and Tobago's PET Bottle Waste Witnessed Multifold Jump

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): A recent study found that the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago generates approximately 26,000 tons of used PET bottles every year. This supply is sufficient to run a domestic recycling facility with high economic efficiency, the study observed.

According to the study conducted by Clyde Eiríkur Hull and Eric Williams of the Rochester (New York) Institute of Technology (RIT), nearly 49,000 tons of plastic end up in landfills every year. Surprisingly, much of this is not produced or imported into the country. Rather, they represent packaging around imported products, the study noted.

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The report recommends key solutions to tackle the rising plastic waste crisis. It recommends setting up of companies that promote alternative use of plastic waste, in the model of Lehigh Northeast Cement Co. in Glens Falls, New York which burns plastic for energy. Also, imposing ban on certain plastic items sould help reduce plastic waste. For instance, prohibition of polystyrene shopping bags is estimated to reduce plastic waste by as much as 2,000 tons per year.

The study report noted that the country has only limited data on plastic production, use and disposal.