Waste Management at HELP

One of the first things many people notice when they arrive in Port-au-Prince is the garbage. Garbage piles up on the streets, eventually making its way to abandoned lots and dumpsters where it is burned, or to streams and ravines which wash it out to the port, especially during heavy rains. But Dieugrand Louis, a HELP student in agro-environment (class of 2013), emphasizes the benefits of a better managed system: “Properly disposing of waste helps to prevent the spread of disease as well as improves the state of the environment. And a cleaner environment will even help us to grow the tourist industry in Haiti.” Although the municipal solid waste department (SMCRS) does what it can, it does not have the capacity to meet the city’s needs. Ultimately, the responsibility to deal with waste falls to individual residents. As a member of the urban community of Port-au-Prince – and home to over 120 students, many pursuing degrees in environmental science – HELP recognizes the importance of effective waste management. This year, Dieugrand and several of his fellow HELP students have taken a lead role and made tremendous progress in addressing this issue at the HELP Student Center and dormitories.

Composting is one method that HELP has used to ease the waste management burden. The Student Center has implemented a compost system for all organic waste produced there. “Composting ensures that the natural nutrient cycle is completed and actually breaks down waste, which allows for better management of space,” says Ronel Lefranc (agro-environment, class of 2012), another student spearheading the initiative. Compost bins have also been installed at two of the student houses and are coming to the other two. Recycling is another method being used. Though there is no city-wide recycling system, several businesses have recently opened independent recycling centers, and offer to pay for certain types of plastics that are dropped off there. This has created an opportunity for city residents to generate income by picking up plastics from the streets. At the HELP dorms, students and resident advisors are making use of this plastics-for-cash program by giving plastics to neighborhood residents who take them to a local depot where they are paid, creating an incentive to keep the streets clean.

Ronel, Dieugrand, and several other students have taken charge not just of setting up the compost and recycling systems, but have also developed a training presentation to teach the HELP community about their importance, how to use and maintain them, and about similar initiatives undertaken by other organizations in Haiti. The waste management team is constantly searching for ways to expand the scope of the program, and is researching options for paper and metal recycling. Even though waste management is a challenge in Haiti, at HELP it is also an opportunity for students to put two of HELP’s core principles – respect and service – into practice as they work to maintain a healthy environment for themselves and their neighbors.