G/town solid waste increased by 20%

Georgetown is now generating an estimated 20 per cent more solid waste than it did in 2020, placing significant pressure on an already stretched municipal collection system, according to City Councillor Lelon Saul.

Saul recently revealed that the Georgetown Mayor and City Council has grappled with a significant increase of solid waste that is beyond the Council’s capacity to manage.

“In 2025, the city generates an estimated 20 per cent more solid waste than it did in 2020, driven by population influx from rural areas and more single use packaging small businesses,” Saul said.

The City Hall recently unveiled a $5.6 billion budget for 2026 and of that amount, $1.2 billion has been earmarked for solid waste management. Saul, however, there is a solid waste issue that requires not only increased investment in collection capacity but also stronger enforcement and a shift in public attitudes toward waste disposal

The waste increase, he said, was driven by a growing population has exceeded the Mayor and City Council’s collection capacity, which remains largely unchanged.

“Collection has fallen from twice weekly to once weekly in most wards over the past year… it is a mathematical impossibility when value outweighs capacity,” he said.

The impact is particularly visible in high-traffic commercial areas such as Robb Street and Regent Street, where garbage is now accumulating within 48 hours.

He said that infrastructure constraints are only part of the problem. A significant portion of the issue stems from what he described as a poor waste management culture among both residents and businesses.

Saul pointed to widespread indiscriminate dumping, with citizens frequently disposing of garbage in canals, empty lots, and drains, particularly after hours when enforcement officers are not present.

“A significant proportion of Georgetown’s populace and commercial entities exhibit a poor waste management

“In low income neighbourhoods, residents burn waste, commercial non-compliance, many business fail to contract private haulers instead dumping waste in residential bins,” Saul said.

Adding to the issue, non-compliance among commercial entities remain a persistent challenge, with many businesses failing to contract private waste haulers and instead disposing of garbage in residential bins.