Haiti’s national clean environment initiative, “Konbit Haiti Zero Waste”, has delivered strong early results in the country’s metropolitan region, with project officials announcing this week that more than 15,200 cubic meters of solid waste have been collected across five participating municipalities since the program launched. Minister of the Environment Valéry Fils-Aimé, who unveiled the program at its official launch, reported that the first phase of on-ground interventions has already mobilized more than 1,500 local workers to support waste collection efforts. All participating workers have received full compensation for 10 days of work completed over the 2026 Easter holiday period, with payments disbursed entirely via the MonCash digital payment platform as of April 2, 2026, according to the ministry.
Data compiled by two technical bodies under the Ministry of the Environment — the National Solid Waste Management Service (SNGRS) and the Living Environment and Sanitation Directorate (DCVA), which coordinate and oversee all sanitation work for the initiative — confirms the impressive early output of the program. Working with a fleet of 23 heavy-duty vehicles including waste trucks, compactors, and dump trucks contributed by partner institutions, organized into five rotating work teams, the initiative has covered 30 collection roads split evenly across five target municipalities: Pétion-ville, Delmas, Tabarre, Cité Soleil, and Port-au-Prince. Over 23 days of active collection work, teams have pulled in an average of 632 cubic meters of waste per day, totaling the milestone 15,200 cubic meters reported this week.
The Ministry of the Environment has publicly praised the cross-sector collaboration that made these early gains possible, extending sincere gratitude to all institutional partners that contributed equipment, coordination, and labor to the first phase. Minister Fils-Aimé specifically highlighted the dedication of the SNGRS team led by Director Daril Balthazar, as well as the consistent on-the-ground support from leaders and staff at the five participating municipalities. The ministry also commended the Haitian public for its widespread commitment to the initiative’s goals and the positive reception the program has received since it rolled out.
Looking ahead, the Haitian government confirmed that the program will continue expanding its reach across the country, with preparation work already underway to extend services to two additional major Haitian cities: Cap-Haïtien in the north and Ouanaminthe on the Dominican border.
First launched by the Ministry of the Environment, Konbit Haiti Zero Waste was designed to revitalize and reenergize Haiti’s fragmented solid waste collection and management systems. Operated under the ongoing direction of SNGRS with active input and participation from local municipal authorities, the initiative carries two core overarching goals: to improve public health and quality of life for Haitian communities, and to strengthen consistent presence of state public services across the country.
In a closing statement, the Ministry of the Environment reiterated the core philosophy guiding the program, noting: “It is important to never forget that beyond large-scale government policies, a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment can only be achieved through the consistent daily actions of every individual.”