EBENEZER–The Methodist Agogic Centre (MAC) Comprehensive Secondary Education (CSE) on-campus sustainable school waste management programme is currently in progress after several months of dialogue with the French St. Martin government to establish a recycling relationship.
The initiative is possible due to financial support from local United Nations Education and Science Organisation (UNESCO) Secretary-General Marcellia Henry and from MAC Executive Director Rose Hughes-Coram and her management team.
The school’s waste management programme was designed to give MAC students an opportunity to engage in the separation of recyclables, non-recyclables and biodegradables. In the programme, the development of a green team and green teens environmental relationship would allow management, teachers and students to become participants in the sustainable recycling processes at MAC-CSE and surrounding communities.
The idea of having a sustainable school waste management programme at MAC-CSE came to light after the devastation that resulted from Hurricane Irma and the surplus of recyclable materials recovered that remained on the island afterward.
“What had already been a problematic and fire-prone Philipsburg landfill situated in the middle of a wetland and city location, all of sudden became a nightmare for residents and business communities in the surrounding areas of the landfill,” Henry and MAC-CSE science laboratory technician Claude Javois said.
The programme themed “Think forever green waste management” was first introduced as an initiative by Javois. The initiative relates to his studies in the area of environmental waste management at the university level and his thesis on a comparative study on the sustainability of Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin.
Javois said he had approached the Collectivité of St. Martin to gather support and approval for the project.
He obtained cost proposals from waste haulers All Waste in Place, and Clean St. Maarten; created a recyclable materials collection schedule based on the MAC-CSE annual school calendar for the waste hauler; made arrangements with CITEC Environmental in Guadeloupe to purchase recycling bins through the financial support of UNESCO; submitted his proposal to Director of Environmental Services at the Collectivité of St. Martin Jose Carti on June 25, 2018 for review; and sought approval from the French government to permit MAC-CSE and All Waste In Place to transport recyclable materials from on-campus to the French side for recycling.
After several meetings were held with Carti, Assistant Director of Environmental Services Jacqueline Helissey and Manager of the Eco recycling plant in Galisbay Anthony Le Flur, permission was granted to MAC-CSE. On July 13, Vice-President of the Collectivité of St. Martin Steeven Patrick authorized MAC-CSE and All Waste in Place to transport recyclable materials from the school campus to the recycling centre at Bienvenue in Galisbay for offshore transport to Guadeloupe for further separation and processing.
As the first UNESCO-associated school in St. Maarten, the national commission will assist the MAC-CSE with the implementation and execution of programmes that promote UNESCO’s mission and mandates related to education, culture, science, communication and information.
The MAC-CSE sustainable school waste management programme, for instance, promotes education on sustainable development and science for a sustainable future, assisting the island with fulfilling the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); particularly goals 14 and 15, which emphasise the need to conserve and sustainably use and manage the environment, ocean, and seas.
UNESCO applauded the efforts of the programme, which allows students to participate in a recycling/environmental process that will motivate them to formulate environmental solutions that can make the island a green environment. The aim/goal of the programme is to encourage students to develop responsible attitudes, amongst other things.
“Students becoming advocates for preserving, conserving and keeping the environments within their school, their home, community, the island, and the world clean is another positive outcome of this programme.”
The UNESCO Office will aid the school with acquiring the materials and services needed to make the project possible, such as the purchase of the recycle bins for the school, the classrooms, and the payment for the recyclables collection and disposal services from MAC-CSE to the recycling centre at Bienvenue in Galisbay, St. Martin, for the 2018-2019 school year.
MAC thanked Patrick and Helissey for being a part of the approval process that allowed the initiative to become a reality.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/79684-mac-cse-develops-a-new-green-waste-management-programme
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