Africa-Press – Mauritius. In line with the recommendations of a feasibility study of August 2021 on the management of solid waste, a Transaction Adviser will now be recruited to carry out a feasibility study and prepare tender documents to invite potential bidders to set up and operate regional composting plants and sorting facilities.
The recruitment of the Transaction Adviser is being conducted by the BOT Projects Unit and the closing date for the tender has been set for 21 October 2021.
The Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, Mr Kavydass Ramano, made this announcement, today, during a press conference at the seat of his Ministry in Port Louis. The Director of the Agence Française de Développement, Mr Andre Pouilles-Duplaix, was also present.
Speaking about the development of a new Solid Waste Management Strategy and Action Plan focusing on resource recovery and recycling, Minister Ramano recalled that the consultancy study for this new solid waste management and resource recovery system for Mauritius was funded by the Agence Française de Développement.
The study was carried out in two phases. Phase 1 consisted in the preparation of the Strategy and Action Plan, including a baseline review and analysis of strategic options and recommendations.
The following five strategic areas were recommended: prevention and responsible consumption; increasing resource recovery; provision of adequate technologies for the energy recovery of waste; provision of adequate disposal infrastructures; and information, education and communication.
As regards Phase 2, the study began on 14 March 2017. The consultants submitted the strategy document in December 2017 and Cabinet approval to proceed to Phase 2 was obtained on 31 July 2020.
Phase 2 included a feasibility study of regional composting units and sorting units, which started in November 2020, and the consultants submitted the feasibility study report in July 2021.
The feasibility study report included an analysis and financial modeling of the establishment and operation of the regional composting plants and sorting facilities, an assessment of the market for the products of the composting plants and sorting facilities, preliminary designs for the waste infrastructure and recommendations on the implementation of the project on a public-private partnership basis.
Minister Ramano underlined that his Ministry is considering the implementation of source separation of waste in selected catchment areas. The recyclable waste will be stored separately in additional specialised bins, collected and sent to the Waste Collection Centers set up at the La Chaumière and La Laura Transfer Stations for eventual sorting and collection by the recyclers, he said.
In this regard, he indicated that consultations will be held with local authorities in the catchment areas of the two Civic Amenity Centers and the selected areas for source separation and storage of recyclable waste such as paper, cardboard, plastics and metals.
Workshop on Plastics
Mr Ramano recalled that Government Programme 2020-2024 envisions to make Mauritius a plastic-free country. He indicated that global plastic production has increased 20-fold since the 1960s, reaching 359 million tons per year in 2018 while highlighting that in Mauritius, both imported and locally produced quantities of plastic have increased over the years.
He underlined that new legislation on single-use plastic products was enacted in July 2020 and went into effect on 15 January 2021. These include a ban on non-biodegradable single-use plastic products, he added.
However, in order to allow manufacturers/importers to seek appropriate alternatives, a moratorium until January 2022 has been granted for cups, bowls and trays used exclusively for the packaging of certain specific products, he said.
Minister Ramano observed that the amount of plastics returning to the value chain as a raw material is therefore very low, at around 4.3%. The profitability of the plastics recycling sector is low, which hinders investment in new recycling, he stated.
In that context, he said that a two-day Consultative Workshop on the theme “Plastic-Free Mauritius: Defining the Roadmap” will be organised on 18 and 19 October 2021 with the aim of providing a forum for national dialogue among key stakeholders to forge the way towards the elaboration of the roadmap.
The platform, he added, would serve to raise awareness on the measures, policies, and institutional and legal framework to tackle plastic pollution; identify existing gaps and opportunities; and take on board the suggestions of key stakeholders towards the development of the Roadmap.
According to him, the workshop should outline the main steps of the Roadmap that will enable the country to limit plastic waste and littering; stimulate the demand for recycled plastics; achieve high levels of selective collection of plastic waste by 2025; significantly increase and upgrade our recycling capacity; recycle half of the plastics we produce by 2025; define a clear regulatory framework for plastics with biodegradable properties; ensure that by 2030, all plastic packaging placed on our market is reusable or can be recycled in a cost-effective manner; implement measures to capture microplastics from various sources; develop and use innovative materials for locally produced plastic.
