ORANJESTAD, Aruba — Cuida Aruba Cleanup Crews began working across 13 locations around the island on Friday as government agencies and contractors joined forces ahead of the National Cuida Aruba Day on Saturday, August 29.
Teams from Bureau City Inspector, known as BCI, Departamento di Obra Publico, or DOW, and Serlimar carried out cleanup work in several communities and along major roads.
The Friday operation served as an early phase of the wider Cuida Aruba campaign, which aims not only to remove accumulated waste but also to encourage greater responsibility for Aruba’s public spaces.
Each cleanup location was supervised by a representative from DOW, BCI or Serlimar to help coordinate the different crews involved.
Cuida Aruba Cleanup Crews Work Across Island
The Cuida Aruba Cleanup Crews carried out work at 13 locations during Friday’s operation.
The areas included:
- Maria Maai
- Siribana
- Super Food area
- Palm Beach
- Rooi Prikichi
- Koeriboeri
- Ayo
- Green Corridor near Sero Tijsji
- Mahuma toward Sero Tijsji
- San Fuego toward Yamanota
- Weg Kustbatterij
- Rooi Brazil
- Sero Biento
The coordinated approach allowed different teams to work simultaneously while receiving supervision from the participating public agencies.
The operation focused on areas requiring additional attention before the larger Saturday cleanup effort.
Contractors Join Government Teams
Private contractors also participated alongside government crews.
At Siribana, Mirella Landscaping joined the team carrying out cleanup work in the area.
In Ayo and Santa Lucia, Ploeg Tavares participated in the operation, while other crews were assigned to the remaining scheduled locations.
The cooperation illustrates one of the main ideas behind Cuida Aruba: combining resources from different organizations rather than placing responsibility for maintaining the island on one agency alone.
Government agencies, contractors, businesses, volunteers and residents are all being encouraged to contribute.
Friday Work Prepares for National Cleanup
The Friday operation came one day before the main National Cuida Aruba Day on Saturday, August 29.
The second edition of the campaign has been organized as a two-day national effort involving the public sector, private organizations and the wider community.
The Government of Aruba previously said Friday would focus heavily on organized cleanup and volunteer activities, while Saturday would give residents additional opportunities to clean their homes and neighborhoods and dispose of unwanted waste.
Serlimar increased operational capacity for the campaign, while DOW made equipment available for cleanup work in areas requiring heavier machinery.
Eman Promotes Shared Responsibility
Prime Minister Mike Eman has described Cuida Aruba as an effort to develop a broader culture of shared responsibility for maintaining the island.
According to Eman, caring for Aruba should not be limited to one national cleanup day.
The longer-term objective is for residents, businesses, government departments and community organizations to treat the cleanliness of public spaces as an ongoing responsibility.
The visible work carried out by the Cuida Aruba Cleanup Crews on Friday reflects that approach, with several organizations combining personnel, equipment and expertise.
Six Drop-Off Sites Available Saturday
Saturday’s National Cuida Aruba Day also includes six designated locations where residents can bring waste.
The sites are located in San Nicolas, Pos Chikito/Burubundo, Barcadera, Santa Cruz, Oranjestad and Tanki Leendert.
They are scheduled to operate from 7:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
The government reduced the number of public collection points for this edition in an effort to improve coordination of containers, trucks and waste transportation.
The earlier Aruba News coverage provides the complete list of Saturday collection sites and disposal information.
Cleanup Effort Continues Across Aruba
The work at the 13 locations demonstrates that this edition of Cuida Aruba began before Saturday’s public waste collection operation.
BCI, DOW, Serlimar and participating contractors used Friday to address targeted locations and prepare for the larger national effort.
Government officials thanked the participating teams and encouraged residents to contribute to the common goal of keeping Aruba cleaner and better maintained.
For organizers, the broader objective of Cuida Aruba Cleanup Crews and the national campaign is to turn coordinated cleanup work into a continuing habit rather than an activity that takes place only during designated campaign days.
