Starting Monday, July 6, the Suriname Directorate of Public Greenery and Waste Management (OGA) is rolling out a sweeping overhaul of residential waste collection services across the districts of Paramaribo and Wanica, centered on a major shift in collection timing and redesigned service zones. The updated framework moves the daily start of household waste collection to 5:00 p.m. local time, a change designed to cut longstanding customer complaints and boost overall service efficiency, according to acting OGA director Anwar Moenne.
In an interview with local outlet Starnieuws, Moenne explained that the service changes come after the waste collection contracts for Paramaribo and Wanica were recently put out for new tender. As part of the re-tendering process, agency officials redrew service coverage zones to better align with population density and route logistics. The 5:00 p.m. start time was not a random adjustment: the choice was rooted in years of operational experience and addresses two key pain points of the old schedule.
First, the later timing gives local residents the chance to place their waste curbside after they finish work for the day, eliminating the need for many to leave trash out overnight before collection. Second, it removes large waste collection trucks from busy city and suburban routes during the morning rush hour, a shift that Moenne says will improve overall road traffic flow and let collection crews complete their work more quickly without getting stuck in congestion.
To ensure the new system delivers on promised improvements, Moenne confirmed that the OGA will enforce strict oversight of contracted collection firms to guarantee they adhere to all agreed terms and scheduling requirements. The enhanced monitoring is intended to prevent a repeat of past service failures, which left uncollected waste piling up in multiple neighborhoods for days at a time.
In addition to regulatory changes for contractors, Moenne is calling on local residents to adapt their own habits to support the new system. He specifically urged households to use designated waste bins instead of unsecured plastic trash bags. This simple adjustment, he noted, prevents stray dogs from tearing open bags and spreading garbage across streets, which degrades local living environments and adds unnecessary work for collection crews.
In a public notice released ahead of the launch, the OGA reminded all residents of Paramaribo and Wanica that they must have their household waste placed curbside by 5:00 p.m. on their regular scheduled collection day. The agency also asked residents to pay attention to whether collection trucks cover all streets and alleys in their area. If a street is missed during collection, residents can report the issue to the OGA’s Waste Collection and Processing Department the following working day.