KRALENDIJK – How much waste does Bonaire actually produce? Even KPMG’s extensive investigation into Selibon appears unable to provide a definitive answer to that question.
In its report, KPMG explicitly states that the current registration of waste streams is not sufficiently reliable to provide an accurate picture of the volume of waste generated in each category. In doing so, the study highlights a fundamental problem within Bonaire’s waste management system: many important policy decisions are being made while the underlying data is not fully reliable.
According to KPMG, Selibon does operate a weighbridge at the Lagun waste facility, but daily operational practices result in inaccuracies. Trucks often deliver mixed loads of waste, which are then administratively assigned to a single waste category. As a result, the researchers say there is only limited insight into the actual composition of the island’s waste streams.
The issue is raised repeatedly throughout the report. KPMG explicitly identifies the quality and completeness of volume registrations as one of the key limitations of the study. It also notes that the available information on waste volumes, costs, and operational data is not always complete or consistent.
Far-reaching consequences
The implications are greater than they may appear at first glance. The report contains extensive calculations regarding the costs of individual waste streams, required investments, and Selibon’s future operating model. However, these calculations are partly based on forecasts, assumptions, and estimates of the amount of waste processed each year.
KPMG writes that the volumes assigned to individual waste categories are a particularly important source of uncertainty. The researchers stress that the current system for measuring and allocating tonnages is inadequate to produce a reliable and accurate picture of the various waste streams.
That does not mean the report’s conclusions are unusable. KPMG tested the information supplied by Selibon through interviews, site visits, benchmarking, and professional judgment. The researchers therefore describe their work as a plausibility and consistency assessment of the available information. At the same time, the accounting and advisory firm emphasizes that the exercise did not constitute an audit or a full verification of the underlying data.
For Bonaire, the findings primarily underscore the importance of improving the registration and monitoring of waste streams. Without reliable data, it remains difficult to determine precisely which waste streams generate the highest costs, which processing methods are most effective, and how future tariffs should be structured.
Reliable data essential
At a time when Bonaire is facing millions of dollars in required investments and aims to end waste disposal at Lagun by the end of 2028, the report concludes that reliable data has become an indispensable building block for future waste management policy.
