News
TCI Green Ecological Corporation has big vision for Providenciales Landfill; coming soon a Nature Park
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, January 20, 2024 – Following the hiring of new contractors there will be no more landfill in Wheeland Providenciales; in its place, a recycling and waste export facility, complete with a Nature park. That is the ambitious vision of Delroy and Richard Gibbs, the Grand Turk brothers who founded TCI Green Ecological Corporation Limited.
“I am pleased to announce a new three-year contract has been awarded and fully executed— to manage the waste disposal site on the island of Providenciales,” said Shaun Malcolm, Minister of Health during a press conference on January 18th, held to introduce the new contractors.
It’s the first time a long-term private contract has been signed for solid waste management in Providenciales since 2018 when the last contract was terminated.
While it may be hard for residents to imagine the 66-acre smoldering mass that is the Wheeland dump, turned into a functioning site; the brother duo and their team have been awarded a $2.9 million contract to do just that. They signed on the dotted line on January 5, 2024.
“Our goal for the landfill is to convert it from a landfill to a recycling center/a sustainable nature park. There will be no landfill. Our job is to recycle one hundred percent of waste. The waste that cannot be recycled would be exported out of the country,” Richard Gibbs explained.
It won’t be an easy job. With no concrete leadership for over half a decade, the dump had spiraled into a hotbed,
“Over the years the Providenciales Landfill has become a focal point for various issues ranging from unsightliness and odor and to more concerning problems like fire, smoke, increased vectors, human scavenging and the associated crime.”
Despite this, Richard Gibbs was confident they would be able to pull it off.
We are dedicated to making a difference in our country. We have implemented a waste management system for the operation and maintenance of Providenciales. The strategy is in line with EPA standards. for a sanitary modern-day landfill,” he continued “we have teamed up with experts from the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada to assist us in converting from a dumping site to a recycling center.”
Delroy Gibbs explained their background in solid waste.
“My brother and I have over 30 years of experience in waste management.” He explained that he had been living and working in the UK since 2017 but was ready to come home.
“I’ve worked and managed for the Leeds City Council in household waste centers. I’ve supervised and managed eight recycling sites, and I’m very proud of this opportunity to bring what I am doing in the UK to the Turks and Caicos.”
The official takeover of the landfill comes on March 5, but the team has already arrived and is on the ground in the Turks and Caicos. Robert maintained that the goal was not only to work with the government but community leaders as well to find out what residents expected.