KINGSTON, Jamaica — Citizens are being encouraged to utilise the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) mobile application to report instances of littering, illegal dumping and uncollected garbage and access waste management information at their fingertips.

NSWMA Community Relations Manager, Kimberley Blair, said the app is available on both iOS and Android.

“Users are able to upload images of garbage in a public space, littering and illegal dumping. Once this image is uploaded, the app sends a geotag report automatically to us here at the NSWMA and the user then receives a reference number and is able to follow the progress of the case within the app,” she informed.

“We encourage persons to help us in that regard by reporting littering and illegal dumping by downloading the mobile app,” Blair urged.

The app also notifies the user when their report has been received by the NSWMA’s Community Relations Department, when it is being dealt with and when garbage has been collected or the matter resolved.

 The mobile app was created to provide a centralised space where users can voice their concerns and suggestions, with the assurance that these will be delivered through the proper channels and resolved as quickly as possible.

The main categories for reports in the app are uncollected/delayed garbage collection and illegal dumping. In the category of uncollected/delayed garbage collection, most of the reports have come in from the region covering Kingston and S. Andrew, St Catherine and St Thomas. Reports of illegal dumping have come in from Clarendon, St Ann and St James.

Blair shared that the app has been successful in helping the NSWMA address and resolve many of the reports within a short time frame.

“We launched the app in June 2020, and since that time we have received close to 300 reports and had over 600 downloads. It has been very successful, as we have been able to resolve cases in 24 to 48 hours,” Blair said.

“The app also offers a garbage-collection schedule and recycling tips for home, work and school, and we are looking at adding some exciting updates in the very near future. We will also be sharing our tutorial soon on our social media platforms, so residents can see how easy it is to make a report,” she noted further.

As part of the authority’s Stamp Out Littering and Illegal Dumping (SOLID) campaign, people can also report offenders and offences in the public space to the NSWMA by calling 876-448-3220.

– JIS