Glass recycling now being done at Pockwood Pond

As the territory continues to look for ways to manage waste, the Department of Waste Management (DWM) has announced that they now have a glass recycling machine at the Pockwood Pond waste site on Tortola.

Residents are advised to place clean glass in We Recycle bins, which are then taken to the dump site and fed into a newly installed industrial glass crusher that grates it into small pieces so it can be used as aggregate. The new machine is said to have the capacity to process 1.5 tonnes of glass per hour.

The DWM said they are using the glass aggregate as a cover material to help manage the fire challenges on the hillside at Pockwood Pond, adding that it will soon be available for use in public road repair projects, construction, sandblasting and landscaping.

According to information from DWM, glass currently makes up about 20% of what goes to the incinerator or dump sites and residents are being urged to recycle the material to reduce its presence at the territory’s waste sites.

“The Department of Waste Management and Green VI urge all residents to make good use of the We Recycle bins found all across the territory to help reduce the waste that ends up in the dump site,” the Department of Waste Management said.

“Restaurants, bars and other businesses are also urged to help by taking clean glass bottles directly to Pockwood Pond where there is a dedicated area just for glass near the entrance,” the Department added.

Scientists have calculated that glass takes a long time to biodegrade. A glass bottle would take over 4,000 years to decompose – even longer if it’s in a landfill.

This is far worse than plastic, which takes around 500 years to decompose.