More residents are recycling their waste
The Ministry of Health and Social Development is reporting an uptick in recycling efforts across the territory.
According to statistics from Green VI, over the last three years, approximately 13 million plastic bottles, predominantly water bottles, were diverted from the waste stream.
Director of Waste Management, Marcus Solomon said “Diverting the plastics away from the landfill is a tremendous help to the department as it prevents us from having to find space for this type of waste. We continue to implore the community to utilise the ‘We Recycle’ programme.”
Meanwhile, representatives from Green VI continue to seek the support of the community to reduce their dependency on plastics and persons are asked to think about ways to re-purpose recyclables within the territory.
Executive Director of Green VI, Charlotte McDevitt said they forged a partnership with the Department of Disaster Management, Red Cross and the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College to implement drinking water systems in all schools across the territory as part of the Smart Schools programme.
McDevitt said the initiative will allow students to re-fill reusable water containers, which will save parents money and reduce the dependency on plastic water bottles.
“I want to encourage all persons to recycle, re-use, re-think and cut down on the quantity of waste that we are sending into the waste stream.” Minister Wheatley said. We want every household to do composting and separation and to participate in the ‘We Recycle’ Programme.”
Plastics, when not managed correctly, cause numerous health and environmental concerns. With the global conversations regarding climate change, environmental protections and the health risks posed by dump sites in the BVI, residents are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of proper waste management.
They also called for the government to implement better waste collection mechanisms and give residents more options to participate in recycling.
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eco tourism is the way to go. eco friendly environment is the way to go. the marine environment is very fragile and it does not take much to destroy the marine environment that we live in in the bvi. our marine environment fuels our tourism economy and put food on our plates. it makes logical sense to make good use of what you have and to take care of the marine environment for human life to survive. the topography of the bvi with hurrricanes, flooding, mudslides and landslides and earthquakes threatens the existence of human life. unless we take care of the environment that we live in we cannot battle with the weather and with the climate.
Note that this seems to be an initiative from residents, not from the government, who has yet to come up with a meaningful and funded waste management program in the last 30 years. There is zero political will from which we can conclude that despite flapping lips, this is not a priority. Prove me wrong.
It should be mandatory that we recycle.
I agree. I think it is time for the Government to get involved and make recycling mandatory, especially as they are not putting emphasis on fixing the open-burning issues that we have at Pockwood Pond. It is not rocket science. Google it, somebody from the Ministry of Health and get with it. Borrow some money from the BVI Tourist Board for start up costs. They seem to have a lot of money to do piss with.
It is amazing how smart the people Like Hon. H.L. Stoutt were without the resources we have today. If he had access to Google we would have had to beg him to please slow down. We would have wanted for nothing. He would have Googled all day and called on one professional after the other everyday to headline certain things and we were gone. Full speed ahead. Ah saw.
Hint: Just type, ‘Premier road engineers and builders in the USVI and Caribbean’. It’s like magic. Foster a partnership and then call your local contractors to work along. You are the stewards of our money. DO IT!!!!! That lady in the corner made a mess.
It should me mandatory that there be no more burning of waste, garbage, etc. on ALL the BVI islands forever!
While the cliche, “RAR”-recycle and reuse, sounds good, the reusing of water bottles can be considered, in my view,a harmful effort!
Water bottles continously leach harmful chemicals within the liquids of which it’s contained.
I just can’t understand the need.
Fine- after usage, donate the bottles for recycling.
But to reuse, I say, continue to purchase new..
Better that we get the least amount of chemicals, than a barage, of which, is neither needed, nor desired!