Tyre Garden (TRI/92/G51/2101/002) (TRI/92/G51/2101/002)

Project Details & Results

The TYRE GARDEN PROJECT will re-use old tyres, plastic bottles, chicken feathers, leaves, manure etc., to create an environment for the growing of vegetables, fruits, flowers, Christmas trees, etc., in a hostile agricultural environment e.g. Beetham Estate, Laventille, Sea Lots. This will be done using the organic approach.

The project, which will be coordinated by an agriculturalist, will train members of fourteen (14) NGOs/CBOs and schools that have expressed interest in learning the Tyre Garden technique in the first instance followed by newly-interested organisations and schools. Demonstrations will be given to each organisation on the making of compost and the choice of vegetables, decorative plants and Christmas trees. Special emphasis will be given to the training of girls/women. The project endeavours to reduce the quantity of old/used tyres and plastic bottles strewn on roadsides, in forests, alleys, drains, rivers and coastal waters by using them in a productive way, thus helping to improve the quality of these environments. The project encourages the growing of seedlings of forest species for reafforestation projects and the growing of Christmas trees to reduce annual exploitation of natural stocks and promote revenue-generation.

The grant will be used to provide technical services, training materials, promotional material such as advertisements, brochures and posters, transport and meals for tutors during the training sessions and the purchase of material and equipment.

Notable Community Participation
Demonstration model led to development of similar units by schools, households, a drug rehabilitation center and a home for physically-impaired persons.

Capacity - Building Component
Training for community members and school children in development of 'tyre' gardens.

Project Results
Benefits achieved for/by participants during implementation:
a) Enhanced capacity of NGOs/CBOs and school children to assist in their own district to rid the environment of old tyres and plastic bottles.
b) Promotion of income-generation activities through the sale of 'tyre garden' grown products.
c) Cost-savings on 'tyre garden' grown products.

Products/services generated by the project:
The tyre-garden technology reproduced on flyers, and booklets prepared and disseminated to interested individuals, groups and the general public.

Assessment of impact of project in the GEF focal area:
Hundreds of discarded tyres and re-used in food crop and ornamental plant production. This prevented the tyres from polluting terrestrial, river and coastal environments.

Project Sustainability:
The following elements were integrated in the project to help sustain project interventions over time:
a) Identification of coordinators of the project from the communities in which the project has been introduced to encourage its development within the communities.
b) Follow-up visits to all localities where training was conducted to assess progress.
c) Maintaining communication and dialogue with trainees during and after the project.
d) Further development of the tyre garden method in every county of Trinidad and Tobago.