Citizen-led fix for Guyana’s landfill challenge

Sep 17, 2026 Letters

Dear Editor,

“The solution to overcrowded landfills does not start at the dumpsite. It starts in our citizens’ kitchens.” That was the central message shared by Waste To Wealth Caribbean Inc. Founder Rampertab Etwaria during a courtesy visit with Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Hon. Priya Manickchand, this week at her chambers.

Etwaria presented Waste To Wealth Caribbean’s citizen led approach to changing what happens to biodegradable resources before they ever reach a garbage truck or landfill. The movement is seeking to educate citizens to take greater ownership of the resources leaving their homes by adopting four actions: Separate. Divert. Compost. Monetize.

Through the Waste To Wealth model, families learn to combine organic kitchen resources and cardboard through a backyard composting system to produce O.M.G.S., Organic Miracle Garden Soil, in approximately 12 weeks. The finished product can be used to regenerate soil, support household food production or be monetized, shifting the conversation from simply waste management to wealth management.

During the meeting, Etwaria shared the movement’s progress in 2026, including six educational activations and 77 families educated and activated across Georgetown and Linden, with Champion Families progressing through their composting and harvesting journeys.

Waste To Wealth Caribbean also highlighted its introduction of Guyana’s inaugural observance of International Compost Awareness Week in May 2026. The National Park activation educated and activated 39 families and formed part of the movement’s wider mission to activate 1,000 Champion Families and work toward reducing landfill bound waste by 25 percent by 2030.

Waste To Wealth Caribbean is now seeking greater collaboration with Government, corporate Guyana, communities and development partners to expand citizen education and activation across the country. Its goal is to activate 1,000 Champion Families by 2030. The movement maintains that Guyana’s long term waste solution cannot rest only with garbage collectors, trucks and dumpsites. Citizens must also be equipped to make different decisions about biodegradable resources before they leave their homes.

“We want to upgrade how citizens think, from waste management to wealth management. Instead of asking only how we manage garbage when it reaches the dumpsite, we want citizens asking how much of what leaves their kitchens should ever become garbage in the first place,” Etwaria said.

Waste To Wealth Caribbean currently offers a 12 Week Waste To Wealth Family Programme that teaches households the practical skill of converting organic kitchen resources and cardboard into O.M.G.S. Families can participate through a GYD $25,000 DIY programme or invest GYD $50,000 in the supported programme, which includes mentorship and onsite support toward their first harvest. Following a successful harvest and meeting the programme requirements, participants can also qualify for the movement’s Train the Trainer pathway.

Waste To Wealth Caribbean Inc. is a Guyana based citizen led movement committed to creating cleaner communities, regenerating soil, supporting household food production and creating economic opportunities by helping citizens recognise the value in resources they once considered waste.

Sincerely,

Founder Rampertab Etwaria

Waste To Wealth Caribbean Inc.

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