Trash drop-off held for Precinct 5 residents

Rep. Leila Staffler (D-Saipan) helps a resident dump trash in one of the three large construction containers set to haul white wastes, metal wastes, and household trash at the Trash Drop-Off, organized in partnership with Rep. Richard Lizama (D-Saipan), last Monday in Kannat Tabla. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Precinct 5 representatives Richard Lizama and Leila Staffler last Monday, Feb. 21, hosted another trash drop-off, this time in Kannat Tabla, providing a much-needed avenue for residents in the area to easily drop off their trash—for free.

Three large construction containers were provided to segregate white waste [such as furniture], metal wastes, and household trash. In addition, another trailer was also made available to reach out and actually go and pick up trash from residents who do not have access to transportation and have asked for assistance.

“We know that it’s hard to get to Marpi,” Staffler said. “We have done this before in the Precinct 5 area of Kagman, and we had such a positive response. A lot of people said, ‘What about other areas?’ so my partner [Lizama] and I have been looking for good locations to have this kind of [drop-off event] for the rest of Precinct 5.”

Precinct 5 representatives Richard Lizama (D-Saipan) and Leila Staffler (D-Saipan) teamed up to provide large construction containers for residents to drop off their white wastes, metal wastes, and household trash, at the Trash Drop-Off last Monday in Kannat Tabla. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Last year, in April, the trash drop-off the two representatives organized in Kagman received an overwhelming response, with a total of 29 vehicles dropping off trash that filled three full loads of containers, all hauled to the landfill afterwards.

“Marpi is pretty far and…not everybody can go…all the way to the Transfer Station. …And so we wanted to bring it closer,” Staffler said.

The representative also pointed out that while there are a lot of public spaces and open fields in Kagman, there are not many areas in the rest of the precinct that are conducive for holding events like the trash drop-off. Luckily, she said, the Kannat Tabla road paving is already done, which gave them an open spot to put the large dumpsters, at least for the day.

Trash drop.

“The people who have come to take advantage are really grateful,” Staffler added.

“A lot of the trash that they’ve brought is still remaining from the typhoon so it’s nice to get that feeling of getting that off of your property and making it clean again. When people have a chance to clean up, it reduces vermin and other disturbances in your property. We just want to help people get that chance.”

While the trash drop-off is just a one day event to help Precinct 5 residents with their trash, a more permanent Kagman Residential Solid Waste Transfer Station is in the works, which will serve as a trash collection point facility for residents in the area.