Antigua and Barbuda faces a significant waste management crisis. The island’s only landfill is quickly being inundated by the large influx of trash created directly by cruise ships themselves as well as added waste from local homes. This year, landfill has already processed more than 1200 tonnes of cruise liner waste. This increased, overwhelming influx only makes a bad situation worse. Tourism’s taking off in the Caribbean, luring close to 34.2 million sun-seekers last year. The existing solid waste management infrastructure is outdated and poses severe acute and chronic environmental and human health hazards.
After two decades of operating Antigua’s landfill, no new cells – or contained waste areas – have been developed. The proposed new space, shielded by a cofferdam and plastic sheeting, has been at capacity since 2012. Since then, workers have continued to dump new trash atop the old refuse. This hillside has now created a dramatic and moody hill that towers over the site. This practice is further troubling from the standpoint of public health and environmental harms.
Underneath a putrid smear of garbage, local workers, called “pickers,” regularly stopping by the landfill site, with over a dozen workers stopping by each week. These workers dig through the garbage looking for valuable materials to recycle, making a minimum of $40 a day. They frequently harvest valuable bits of copper from junked appliances, which brings in more than $1 per pound when resold.
“Anytime the cruise ship waste trucks come in, the pickers will be there,” – current worker at the landfill.
Residents like Hayes have long been suffocated by the stench of smog from regular burns at the dump. Environmental justice advocate Zara Majid served as a fierce local advocate who pointed out fire safety issues in the community.
“Our waste management system is not as adequate as we would like, and we don’t have enough recycling,” – Zara Majid.
The increasing amount of waste is symptomatic of a larger and more concerning trend impacting many Caribbean countries. The Cayman Islands’ landfill grows larger every day, even in the face of concerted campaigns to educate residents and tourists on recycling and reducing waste. Meanwhile, Jamaica still disposes the majority of its annual million-plus tonnes of waste in open dumps or low-tech landfills. The government says it is very committed to building waste to energy plants.
Despite being signatories to the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) Marpol convention, which governs ship waste and pollution, only 30% of Caribbean countries have enacted legislation that aligns with these guidelines. David Spencer, an environmental consultant, observed that little progress has been made in addressing these waste management issues in recent years.
“There have been no significant improvements to the way we manage waste over the past 10 years,” – David Spencer.
Inadequate waste management creates grave consequences on the ground, impacting air, soil, and water. It threatens public health and threatens local economies that rely on tourism. For many Caribbean islands, the tourism industry employs almost three million people and makes up over two thirds of some islands’ GDPs. Zara Majid, from the University of Otago, highlighted the relationship between tourist behavior and environmental impact.
“Every piece of waste a tourist leaves behind has an impact – and every choice they make helps not only our present but our future,” – Zara Majid.
The increase in cruise ship tourism has made a bad waste situation even worse. In 2022, the Caribbean hosted 33.7 million cruise ship passengers. This influx greatly accelerated the amount of solid waste produced per capita in these island nations. This influx presents a complex challenge for local governments that struggle to balance economic growth with sustainable waste management practices.
Danley Philip, a community leader in Robertsville, pushes for more sustainable waste disposal methods. He calls for nothing less than urgent, sweeping action to address these urgent concerns.
“We plan to get technicians with experience to manage it properly because currently it’s really just a dump with very little sorting,” – Danley Philip.
As millions of tourists descend on these small, beautiful islands, the need for sustainable waste management solutions has never been more critical. The plight of Antigua’s landfill is symptomatic of widespread systemic issues throughout the Caribbean region. Without significant improvements to infrastructure and policy, these islands will remain challenged by their increasing waste burdens.