Upcoming: 2011 Recycle Mania Week
The Department of Waste Management within the Ministry of Public Works has announced details of the 2011 Recycle Mania Week.
Minister of Public Works Walter Roban said: “Recycling is an important part of creating a sustainable future as well as ensuring the incinerator operates at maximum efficiency.
“If recyclables such as glass and metal are placed in regular trash they melt in the incinerator, building up on the grates causing the system to get clogged which then necessitates shutting down the operation for maintenance which sucks up valuable time, money and resources.
“So I encourage everyone to do their part – take part in Recycle Mania 2011 and make the commitment to recycle all your TAG – Tin Aluminum and Glass not just next week, but every week of the year.”
There are three ways to participate in Recycle Mania 2011:
- Schools can participate in the Aluminum Can Drive whereby students collect aluminum cans and whichever class and school collect the most wins $500 for their school.
- Residents can participate in the curb-side recycling competition. Put your recyclables out for collection on Thursday November 24th in the west end and Friday November 25th in the east end and, using a permanent marker, write your telephone number on your recycling bag. Ten winners will be chosen at random to receive a $100 grocery voucher to use at Lindo’s Markets.
- E-Waste Recycle day is on Saturday, November 26, 2011 at the Tynes Bay Waste to Energy Facility and residents are encouraged to bring their old, worn out electronics to be recycled – everything from battery operated toys and hair dryers all the way up to computers and other equipment that contains circuit boards; anything powered by batteries or power cord.
Drop off the following Electronic Waste Items for Recycling:
- Household air conditioners
- Monitors
- Televisions
- Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs)
- Computer Processing Units (CPUs)
- Keyboards
- Telephones
- Cell Phones
- Printers
- Copiers
- Typewriters
- Mainframe Equipment
- Laptops
- Fax Machines
- Stereo Equipment / Radios
- Satellite Receivers
In 2009/2010 the Waste Management section sent away 109 containers for recycling. These were comprised of 26 containers of air conditioners, 24 containers of vehicle batteries, 14 containers of tin, seven containers of aluminum, six containers of other metals, 16 containers of motor oil, two containers of fluorescent tubes, four containers of transformers one container of household batteries and 10 containers of e-Waste (Magnus, please use the numbers in the phone book).
All e-Waste is sent to EPA approved recycling facilities to ensure correct handling with maximal concern for the environment and worker safety.
For commercial loads of recyclables please contact recycle@gov.bm or telephone Stephen Gilbert at 501-3024. For further details on correct waste disposal, please visit www.wastemanagement.gov.bm, or the “What Goes Where” section in the BTC Phone Book blue pages.
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Category: All, Environment
I would love to recycle every week of the year, but unfortunately, recycling only gets picked up every OTHER week!
It’s really sad to see how many people don’t bother (very evident on garbage days).
We really should get more serious on recycling. Not just glass and aluminum, but what about all the plastic stuff (i.e. water bottles) and what about paper? I think they collect it for offices, but what about residential?
These items are more beneficial to be burned in the incinerator to help generate electricity. The best way would be to reuse these items as much as possible before burning.
Why can we not recycle Paper?
My hopes for Bermuda.
In the hope that plastics will be banned from Bermuda’s shores as soon as possible, I suggest that people save their glass bottles with re-sealable tops. Just put aside for use later to store foods and liquids. Tupperware will become obsolete and single serving beverages will be banned. Bermuda,get ready to have to carry your own portable drink container. We should all expect to have a goodbye party for paper bags, cardboard boxes, styrofoam, synthetic sponges used for packing, plastic bottles that nearly every consumer currently has no choice but accept plastic as part of the delivery product. Change is needed now.
Why do so many in the community think that all recycling is just taken to the dump and burned with the trash? I can’t tell you how many people use this as an excuse to not recycle. Where did this perception originate? Is their truth behind it? It says something when people don’t trust the government for an issue such as recycling. Why is something as straight forward as recycling shrouded in controversy? Can someone in the community or government come forward with an announcement to clarify once and for all what happens with the recycling so that this rumour can be debunked?
If they want more people to recycle than they should make those blue recycling bags more available. Why aren’t they available at every grocery store for instance?
Better yet, give they away for free.
This initiative is great – I hope it helps people to understand that there is recycling, at least of TAG – and proper disposal of other items when they have those e-waste days. Raising awareness is the first step.
Yes, it is unfortunate that there are many “nay-sayers” – this initiative might help them to see the light.
Yes, it would be nice if they could expand the programme to other items, as mentioned in several comments.
In the meantime, each individual can act with their own decisions / choices – buy / use less “stuff” (reduce) or buy better (i.e. more environmentally friendly) stuff – Don’t buy plastic bottles of water or single use, throwaway items.
There are dozens of alternatives which only require minor habit changes. The great thing is that most changes do not cost much to do and can even save you lots of money (like switching off your lights etc when not in use) or not buying bottled water (did I mention that already?).
On the blue plastic bag topic, I suggest we all have a blue box which can just be emptied in the recycling truck – no platic bags. I have seen this in many other places and it works just fine. There’s a business opportunity for any entrepreneur. Get the boxes, negotiate a contract with the government / waste management department and bingo! Good luck.