PHILIPSBURG:--- The Government of Sint Maarten and the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) will host a Public Consultation on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at the Belair Community Center, to discuss the future of waste management on Sint Maarten. During this session, the Government of Sint Maarten will share the priorities, policy direction & strategic vision for waste management. The NRPB, which is carrying out the Emergency Debris Management Project (EDMP), will then give an overview of the project and upcoming landfill activities. Finally, Witteveen + Bos, in collaboration with TAUW, the consultant currently carrying out the Feasibility Study and preparing the draft designs for the landfill activities, will explain the technical details. They will also discuss the Environmental & Social Impact Assessment and the Environmental & Social Management Plan.
EDMP includes the recontouring and partially closing both the main landfill and the Irma landfill. The public consultation session aims to inform the public of the various actions surrounding the future of waste management on Sint Maarten and to share how these activities connect to the country’s Waste Vision 2050. This long-term vision aims to establish an Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) system that makes landfill operations safer, improves efficiency, and reduces landfill waste by increasing reduction, reuse, and recycling.
Waste management is one of the island’s biggest environmental challenges, and the intervention at the landfill is an important step toward addressing it. To ensure that all specific local factors are included in the development of these activities, a feasibility study was commissioned to examine the current condition of both landfills and determine the best approach for reshaping, upgrading, rehabilitating, and partially closing them in a way that meets environmental standards and provides sustainable solutions for the future.
Parallel to the conclusion of the study and finalization of the designs, several improvements under EDMP are already in motion. These initiatives include installing a weighbridge to collect accurate waste data for better planning, introducing tipping fees, and purchasing a concrete crusher and a greenery shredder. These measures are part of the preparation for larger interventions and the long-term shift toward greater waste diversion.
The session will explain how public feedback will be reflected in the final study report and provide an overview of the projected timeline for next steps.
Following the consultation, a summary of the discussion, the study’s findings, and the next steps will be shared with the public to ensure transparency as Sint Maarten moves toward a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable waste management system.
Date: WEDNESDAY, September 3, 2025
Time & Location: 6.00 pm Belair Community Centre
Residents are invited to attend in person or via live stream to share their views and concerns. The local community is being invited to share their valuable input at this stage, as Sint Maarten works towards a brighter future.
“It will take all of us!”
EDMP is an $85 million project, supported by the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) and implemented by NRPB on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten. It is funded through the Sint Maarten Trust Fund, which the Government of the Netherlands finances, managed by the World Bank, and implemented by NRPB on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten.
