A sitting Member of Parliament for Antigua and Barbuda’s St. John’s Rural South constituency has emerged as a vocal critic of ongoing unregulated waste disposal in the area, labeling the persistent problem both deeply disheartening and entirely inexcusable.
Daryll Matthew, the elected representative for the district, emphasized that even well-resourced municipal cleanup crews cannot cover every stretch of road and green space to address the constant flow of illegally discarded trash. He noted that no amount of public funding allocated to waste management can keep up with the reckless behavior of residents who choose to dump waste outside of authorized collection sites, creating an ongoing public nuisance and environmental hazard.
Beyond criticizing the irresponsible actions of those behind the dumping, Matthew stressed that maintaining a clean, healthy living environment across the constituency cannot fall solely on the shoulders of local government and cleanup staff. Long-term success in curbing the problem depends on active participation from every member of the community, he argued. He urged local residents to adhere to official waste disposal guidelines, use designated collection points, and proactively report any cases of illegal dumping they observe to the relevant authorities to enable swift intervention.
Matthew further encouraged constituents to cultivate a stronger sense of communal pride, reminding residents that their choices impact the people who live around them, the local ecosystem, and the municipal workers tasked with removing improperly discarded trash. “We can—and must—do better as a community,” he said. “Keeping St. John’s Rural South clean is not the job of one group or a single team of workers. It is a shared responsibility that falls to every single person who calls this constituency home.”
Matthew’s public statement was accompanied by on-site photographs that document the scale of the issue, showing large, unsightly piles of discarded construction debris, household waste, and other discarded materials piled along the curbs of public roads throughout the district.