Above: Tobago (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Tobago says it is looking to become the first Caribbean territory without a landfill site.

The island’s House of Assembly has signed a contract with Canada-based Fourth State Energy to undertake a waste-to-energy pre-feasibility study.

The agreement was signed at the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort on Wednesday.

According to William Benjamin, green fund coordinator at the Office of the Chief Secretary, the study will look at the amount of waste produced on the island, the characteristics of the waste and whether the project is viable for Tobago.

The study will also examine how much electricity could be produced through such a plant.

“If it is accepted by the Executive Council, Tobago will be blazing a trail in waste management in the Caribbean,” he said.

The project is costing the House of Assembly around $100,000, Benjamin said.

“If this goes ahead, Tobago will be the first island in the Caribbean to be landfill-free,” said Stephen Mader, CEO of Fourth State Energy. “You don’t want the scent of a landfill or to see the fumes because that is an environmental hazard; it is also a health hazard. When you can smell garbage from your hotel room, that’s a problem and it’s not good for tourism. We want to transform waste into clean, green and sustainable energy.”