Barbadians are being urged to do more recycling.
This call comes from Waste Management Coordinator with the Solid Waste Project Unit (SWPU), Thora Burnett, who wants Barbadians to be aware of the several outlets available for this process.
Acknowledging that a number of businesses have sprung up to meet the needs of recycling on the island, Ms. Burnett said: “Companies are making money from recycling plastic pet bottles, news print, rum bottles, cooking oil and automotive batteries, to name a few, and are helping to extend the life of our landfill.
She is, however, concerned that not many Barbadians are aware of the various places where these items can be taken and are lacking in the knowledge that waste generated in the home can be composted in their own backyard.
She explained: “Individuals have been doing composting for years, especially the farmers and those with back-yard gardens. When we put organic material, for instance potato slips and onion peels, back into the soil, that is exactly what is regarded as composting. It also occurs naturally when leaves fall to the ground and eventually decompose to form humus.”
Composting is the breakdown of organic material to form a soil conditioner that would both provide nutrients for and improve the soil’s environment.”
The SWPU is the agency responsible for implementing Government’s Integrated Solid Waste Management Programme (ISWMP), and for educating the public about recycling and where waste material can be taken. Recently, some companies, which undertake recycling, joined the Unit’s effort at educating the public and committed their organisations to ensuring that not all waste ends up in the landfill. “They are helping us to give visibility to the three “Rs” of “Reducing”, “Re-using” and “Recycling”, the principles on which the ISWMP are founded,” said Ms. Burnett.
Persons interested in recycling material have various businesses to choose from, depending on the items to be discarded. For instance, PET plastic bottles can be returned to B’s Bottle Depot, at Cane Garden St. Thomas, or Eagle Hall, St. Michael. Supermarkets all over the island also accept these PET bottles. Left over cooking oil is recycled at Native Sun NRG, currently located at the Future Centre, Edghill,
. In relation to organic waste, this can be composted by individuals.
While Tropical Batteries, located at Fontabelle and B’s Bottle Depot are known for collecting automotive batteries, automotive oil is usually recycled at Machinery and Allied Engineering Services, Deighton Road St. Michael.
Non ferrous metals (metals not containing iron, including aluminum drink cans) are recycled at Recycling Preparation Inc. at
The Project Unit, in association with Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation, Ministry of Agriculture and the Sanitation Service Authority, will continue to host composting workshops in the New Year to equip persons with knowledge on how to turn their organic waste into a useful by-product. These were started in May of this year and received a large attendance.
The list of recyclers/waste brokers can be obtained from the Solid Waste Project Unit by calling 427-5910/11 or accessing the web site www.solid.gov.bb.