Executive director of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) Audley Gordon launching the 'Pass the Broom' public education campaign on Thursday at the authority's offices in St Andrew. Looking on is NSWMA's Operations Director Aretha McFarlane. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)
NSWMA eyeing technology to keep Jamaica clean
‘Pass the Broom’ anti-littering campaign launched
The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is looking to introduce more technology as it pushes to meet its mandate of keeping Jamaica clean.
NSWMA officials on Thursday hosted a media briefing to announce that the agency has incorporated additional technology in its operation in an effort to provide a more effective and efficient service to Jamaicans.
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NSWMA Operations Director Aretha McFarlane said adding technology to its operation will guarantee the agency provides Jamaicans with a more reliable service and provide customer satisfaction.
“Even in waste management we need to be efficient…and we are changing with technology…We have also evolved by incorporating more technology in waste management. We will continue to improve our operational efficiency and also improve customer experience,” said McFarlane.
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She told the media briefing that so far a fleet management system has been added to ensure a more efficient business and human resource.
“The tracker on the trucks enable us to identify where they are once they are dispatched [and] we want to ensure that they are in the zones which they were dispatched for. We also want to check the time the truck stays in the zone, and the time it takes to clean a zone.
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“Other technologies that we have been utilising is time stamped photos. Gone are the days when our public cleansing inspectors could just say, ‘Okay, we are in our zone’. We were in the zone but there was nothing tangible to show. With the involvement of technology we are now able to see real time, because they are required to provide evidence that they are actually in their zone, and that they are actually providing, monitoring, and working in the zones. We have that to our advantage, thanks to technology being improved,” McFarlane added.
According to McFarlane, more work has also been done to improve the agency’s mobile application to make it more modern and relevant.
“We want to add additional features to those apps, that is in keeping with 2025 and that will help us with real-time information from our customers and in addition to providing pictures, we can also have access to proper location, because an important thing that we are taking advantage of is the GPS [global positioning system] system,” said McFarlane as she argued that added technology will also serve to inspire Jamaicans to practise cleanliness with the launch of the NSWMA’s new ‘Pass the Broom Campaign’.
In providing details on the campaign, executive director of the NSWM Audley Gordon said it is designed to encourage responsible waste management by Jamaicans.
“The broom there signifies, that all should acknowledge cleanliness. We want to encourage the culture of cleanliness where people sweep up their yard, sweep up outside their gate, keep their community clean. We want to get this Pass the Broom initiative right around Jamaica. We want to make it a cool thing to clean up,” said Gordon.
He pointed out that the campaign will be launched islandwide and will require a collaborative effort to succeed.
“We always acknowledge that the NSWMA as an authority by itself cannot do the work. We want to encourage businesses, schools, communities, churches, everywhere, everyone, the farmers’ group, and the youth clubs, everybody to become a part of this initiative. So Pass the Broom will not be selective in who we hand the broom to. Pass the Broom will encompass everyone.
“You are a Jamaican, we want you to be part of this initiative. We want you to see yourself as part of this collective energy that will not only make Jamaica the cleanest place on earth, but the most beautiful place on earth.
“If you live in St Thomas, the broom will be handed to you, straight through Portland, St Mary, St Ann, right into Trelawny, St James, Hanover, Westmoreland back to St Elizabeth, down in Manchester, Clarendon, in every community. And all the way through St Catherine in the hills of Guy’s Hill road, right down to Riversdale, all the way into Portmore, into Kingston and it keeps going around through St Thomas, we not going to let up,” Gordon added.
The NSWMA head said by promoting responsible waste management the agency expects to contribute to the reduction of flooding in some communities.
“In our own little way we sometimes inadvertently contribute to flooding that destroys home and furniture and loss of lives. How we do that? We are through drinking a bottle of water and we just toss the bottle and we say, ‘Well, it is just one bottle,’ and we toss it. But guess what, that same bottle is what rides the waterway, get into your drains and cause flooding…and you know the destruction that follows,” said Gordon.
He highlighted that the initiative is not just to have a broom passing around but will encompass various activities aimed at encouraging responsible waste management.
“The campaign includes clean-up events, plastic separation competition, composting competition, recycling challenges — where people will ask to transform trash into useful items. We will also have jingle competitions as well as social media school engagement programmes, so we are very extensive.
“It’s a symbol of something but that something is actually being executed, while we are doing the symbolism. So communities should be impacted, it is expected that at the end of the day, littering should be reduced,” argued Gordon who pointed out that the Pass the Broom campaign is set to last for one year.
