Project Fresh Start is a pilot collaborative initiative implemented under the Department of the Environment with village councils aimed at addressing the issue of illegal garbage dumping by establishing waste collection and disposal systems in small rural communities in Belize where none previously existed. Under Project Fresh Start, the DoE provided assistance for six months, which included the provision of a lift trailer for each community and a stipend to cover costs related to waste collection and transport. The waste collected by these communities is either disposed of at disposal site near Duck Run III, managed by the Spanish Lookout Community, or at the San Ignacio transfer station operated by the Belize Solid Waste Management Authority (BSWaMA).
Despite the initial support, these communities continue to face challenges, particularly with establishing reliable waste collection services and implementing cost-recovery schemes. Cefas has engaged Waste Recycling Environment Network (WREN) to work closely with community leaders to identify challenges and propose potential strategies for improving the sustainability of their waste collection systems. The WREN team is also working on developing a waste collection toolkit that provides information to guide other communities in establishing their own waste collection systems and a short awareness video that will showcase the importance of proper waste management, and showcase the efforts of the Project Fresh Start communities.
