A team of workers from the National Community Enhancement Project is working at the George Town landfill on a variety of projects to help improve the facilities and services before Christmas.

Known as the NiCE project, the three-week seasonal programme has around 50 workers at the landfill engaged in a wide variety of clean-up initiatives.

These include landscaping, cleaning and tidying areas of the landfill as well as buildings on the site, painting, processing recyclables and generally getting the landfill ready for major upgrades as part of the planned new Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS). Workers are also engaged in projects at the dispatch complex that include beautification of the area, improving drainage and litter-clearing.

This is the second year that NiCE workers have taken part in the improvement programme at the landfill.

“We are very pleased to have them on board again this year,” said Director of Environmental Health Roydell Carter. “They make a tremendous contribution to operations at the landfill.”

Seven participants from the 2015 initiative are currently being hired by DEH for temporary positions with the expanded recycling programme at supermarket depots and at the recycling facility; workers will also assist with landfill operations.

It is anticipated that five workers will be hired on contract as permanent workers with the expanded recycling programme as well as a few other workers for landfill operations, for the next couple of years.

“I am very impressed with the efforts of many of these outstanding workers,” said DEH NiCE Project Manager Mark Rowlands. “They have really helped DEH Solid Waste move forward and raise our standard, while improving the overall capacity to manage and operate Cayman Islands solid waste systems. I wish I could provide jobs for all of these fine workers.”

Last year, members of the NiCE project also worked at the dispatch centre, where they painted the outside of the offices, other smaller facilities, and the Solid Waste training centre. They also helped spread crushed stone over the entire parking area, cleaned up the whole compound, painted the decks and installed plants, all of which has contributed to improving working conditions and staff morale.

“This is a very worthwhile programme and I am happy to see the workers from the NiCE project contributing in such a positive way at the landfill and dispatch area,” said Ministerial Councillor for Health Roy McTaggart. “They take great pride in the work they are doing and their efforts are a valuable contribution towards our long-term goal of implementing a sustainable waste management system.”

ISWMS is currently in the first stage of the procurement phase, with government aiming to have a contract in place, in principle, by spring 2017.

NiCE workers assigned to DEH and other public bodies are also undertaking clean-up projects elsewhere around Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac.

Photo captions: (Photos by Catherine MacGillivray, GIS)

189: L-r: Workers from the 2015 NiCE programme who are being hired as temporary workers by DEH, James Barnes, O’Neal Chambers, Kirk Smith, Karen Ebanks, Anicia Glasgow, Charlotte Bodden. They are joined by NiCE Project Manager Mark Rowlands (far left) and Ministerial Councillor for Health Roy McTaggart (far right).

144: A container at the Solid Waste dispatch centre is being renovated for use as an office,

154: NiCE workers in the landfill welding shop.

183: NiCE workers with Ministerial Councillor for Health Roy McTaggart (fifth from left) and NiCE Project Manager Mark Rowlands (second from right).

195: NiCE workers processing oil at the landfill.

208: NiCE workers in the landfill oil recycling section are joined by Ministerial Councillor for Health Roy McTaggart.