Across Belize, formal waste collection services are concentrated largely in urban centres, leaving a significant portion of rural communities without access to any structured system for managing their waste. In the absence of reliable collection and disposal infrastructure, many of these communities face environmental and public health pressures, with waste accumulating in open spaces, near waterways, and in ecologically sensitive areas.
Project Fresh Start was established to begin addressing this gap. Implemented under Belize’s Department of the Environment, the initiative worked directly with village councils to design and set up waste collection and disposal systems in small rural communities where none had previously existed. Establishing these systems was a critical first step, but ensuring their long-term sustainability presented a distinct and equally important challenge.
Following the initial phase of government support, WREN was engaged by Cefas to work alongside community leaders to assess what was and was not working on the ground. The focus was on identifying the practical barriers these communities were facing and developing targeted strategies to help them manage and sustain their own waste collection services over time. This required looking beyond physical infrastructure to consider governance structures, community engagement, and financial sustainability within the context of small rural settings.
To extend the impact of the pilot beyond the participating communities, WREN developed a waste collection toolkit to guide other rural communities in establishing their own systems. Drawing on the lessons learned through Project Fresh Start, the toolkit provides a clear and practical reference that allows communities to replicate proven approaches without starting from scratch.
WREN also produced a short awareness video highlighting the importance of proper waste management and documenting the efforts of Project Fresh Start communities. The video was designed and translated into languages commonly spoken in Belize to strengthen community buy-in, reinforce the value of the systems being maintained, and encourage broader uptake across rural Belize.
Watch the Community Collection Systems Awareness Video below:
Community Collection Systems Awareness Video (English Version)
Community Collection Systems Awareness Video (Spanish Version)
Community Collection Systems Awareness Video (Garifuna Version)
Community Collection Systems Awarness Video (Creole Version)
