By Francis Talasasa, Reporter
A tire shredding machine with its housing structure costing $335,000 has been unveiled at the National Waste Landfill in M-dock by President Remengesau with the National Bureau of Public Works, Koror State Solid Waste Management office, and guests on November 22.
[restrict]
The machine was fully funded by a grant from the Republic of Palau derived entirely from redemption revenues collected into the Palau Recycling Fund. The tire shredder machine is planned to reduce the number of tires currently stacked at the national landfill by shredding them into small pieces to use them as effective eco-friendly sub-drainage materials for roads and retainer walls.
A statement from the Presidential press recalled since President Remengesau has signed the RPPL7-24 IN October 2006, followed by establishing a recycling program, set up of beverage container deposit fee, and creating a Recycling Fund, Palau has seen a leap in its responsible waste management capacity.
The inclusion of the tire shredding machine along with the existing waste management programs established in the past will greatly support the innovations.
In 2008, the first segregation stations were installed in Koror State by the Koror State Waste Management office and a metal recycling program was implemented. The Koror State Solid Waste Management facility has implemented innovative recycling programs such as composting providing grade A quality compost for local farmers, extending and expanding the recyclable redemption facility including a container counting machine, and glass crusher, and installed a new conversion machine that turns plastics into fuel and a glass craft-making program that creates glass artwork from recycled glass.
Palau’s waste management plan is moving even closer to become a self-sustaining, eco-friendly, economic contributor for the state of Koror and the entire Republic.
The office of the President thanked the Koror State Government and its Solid Waste Management Division for their continued efforts in responsibly managing Palau’s waste.
The office of the President expressed its deepest gratitude to the Japan Government for their assistance through JICA and its Grassroots Grants Program for taking on the task with Palau in improving its waste management services and programs since the enactment of RPPL7-4. [/restrict]