Managing Guam’s waste is a growing challenge and officials are looking at long-term solutions. Senator Jesse Lujan, chairperson of the Legislative Committee on Utilities, recently visited multiple Guam Solid Waste Authority sites to assess operations.

From transfer stations to landfills, the senator says while he's impressed with the state of Guam Solid Waste Authority facilities and operations so far, there’s still work to be done. “We definitely got to look at alternatives as well because we're limited land space here in Guam," he stated. “Whether it be waste energy, whether it be nuclear.”

Lujan stresses that decisions made now will impact future generations, explaining, "The actions that we take right now are going to affect that and how they traverse this road in getting to that point.”

Another challenge GSWA faces? An aging workforce. Lujan said, “Their average worker is, I think, 50 years old.”

“And so we have to work on making sure that we entice folks that may not want to go on the conventional college route and stuff like that, that they may want to look at trades.”

To help with that, Senator Lujan says GSWA is partnering with the Guam Community College to train the next generation of waste management professionals. But the senator says real change starts with personal responsibility. "We can do all this public relations, public advertising and things like that. But you know, you got, you know, you got to love yourself, you got to love your island," he said.

While guam explores solutions, Senator Lujan says education, workforce development, and community involvement will all play a role in keeping the island clean.