According to Keizy Kuroda, WSMP coordinator, the initial implementation of the program was a bit difficult.
“Residents saw it as a means for the state to lessen its burden of work,” Kuroda said, “Being that the residents were asked to sort their trash in line with the demands of the program.”
Kuroda said that waste segregation officers (WSO) have been very diligent in their work and have kept people informed of the benefits of the program. He said they have visited every household in the state and have managed to convince nearly all of the people to “get with the program”; and the results are evident.
According to Kuroda, the WSO have kept “trash collection data” – including the amount recyclable items sold – of every household in the state.
In a meeting with the WSO, Kuroda said, he and the officers had decided on recognizing residents of the state who, based on the data collected, have consistently maintained their state issued trash bins.
“We decided to begin publicly recognizing individuals who have, with little or no fail, segregated their waste as indicated by the WSO trash collection data,” stated Kuroda. Based on the WSO data, Evans Imetengel’s household in Ngerbau, Ngarchelong, has been very consistent in keeping it’s waste segregated.
Kuroda and the WSO awarded Imetengel’s household with a certificate of recognition and appreciation for thoroughly following the WSMP requirements.
“Imetengel and his family as well as all of the residents of the state,” Kuroda said, “are 3R heroes. They all have, to a great extent, Reduced, Reused, and Recycled their wastes. They are putting in their share of keeping world clean.”
