Minister calls on people to recycle despite limits

| 07/04/2014

(CNS): Although there is no recycling collection in the Cayman Islands and only very limited services offered by government to the public as an alternative to placing things in the garbage, the minister is calling on residents to up the amount of rubbish they recycle in celebration of Earth Day this month. Despite the very limited opportunities from government for people to recycle, Bodden who took responsibility for environmental health last June claimed to be a keen advocate for more recycling here. “Recycling is one of the key elements of responsible waste management,” he said. 

“Recycling, along with other initiatives involving the reduction, reuse and recovery of waste products, enables every one of us in the Cayman Islands to do our part to ensure better waste management for our islands,” added the minister responsible for rubbish.

DEH Director Roydell Carter also encouraged  everyone in the Cayman Islands to support the “Go Green” initiatives and activities being planned to celebrate Earth Day in April most of which are being organised by local NGOs or private sector companies.

Pointing to simple things such as placing litter in receptacles provided in public spaces, and neighbourhood clean-ups Carter said these were some of the things that everyone can do to help take care of the environment in the Cayman Islands.  However, most of the initiatives require residents to take their rubbish to designated places.

Despite the obvious benefits of recycling from the reduction in the size of the dump to reducing our carbon footprint Cayman remains woefully behind other western developed countries when it comes to recycling services. The DEH recycles only aluminium cans, used motor oil and cooking oil, scrap metals, batteries, as well as natural Christmas trees. Other recycling including some composting is undertaken by private companies.

Even in the face of the poor recycling services offered by government and the absence of any collection service, Carter said many residents and visitors support the existing recycling programmes. “The department has received tremendous cooperation and we have recently expanded to recycling small batteries,” he said.

For residents willing to go the extra mile and join the recycling effort officials said used motor oil should be in clean plastic containers and taken to the designated landfill drop-off area; used cans can be dropped off at the big DEH blue bins marked ”aluminium cans only” located at supermarkets, and schools, and  using the private enterprise recycling efforts for their plastic and glass refuse. Smaller DEH blue recycling containers are located at all public parks and West Bay Road condominiums.

Some receptacles for plastics and glass provided by private recycling companies are also located at some of the supermarkets. Glass and aluminium receptacles are also located at Camana Bay.

22 April  is designated Earth Day and worldwide, people are being encouraged to take part in any activity that benefits Planet Earth. Recycling supporters can start a recycling programme at work or school, as well as encourage friends and neighbours to recycle.

For further information on recycling, contact Tania Johnson at 743-5952 or through email at recycle@gov.ky or visiting the DEH website at www.deh.gov.ky. See details of the CITA Green Challenge and other Earth Day activities below.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Category: Science and Nature

About the Author ()

Comments (36)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Anonymous says:

    How many hotels, restaurants and bars have recycling bins on their premises? Why are they not being forced to recycle? If given a choice, most business will continue to do what is cheap, not what is better for the environment ……………..

    • Anonymous says:

      i have two old computers and 4 mobile phones… wondering should i recycle these or is it easier to throw it out with my groceries …. all i have is a big green skip outside- FOR ALL KINDS OF TRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  2. Anonymous says:

    There is a need to be a little careful here, I am sure that under the new human rights law that Recycled garbage cannot be favoured over ordinary garbage. At least that is the only reason I can think of for not doing something for so long.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Move the dump to Bodden Town!!!

  4. Cheese Face says:

    They can't even run the current dump. I went this morning and the public drop off was closed AGAIN! How on earth are they goint to run one that actually requires some thought and planning???

  5. Junk in my Trunk says:

    Oh lord. Last week someone told them about the internet, now they have discovered recycling too? 

  6. james Pouchie says:

    Someone please give Ozzie a medal, he has finally come up with a soloution to the dump issue…..recycle folks just recycle…but can someone please inform the minister that we are only 70 years behind!

  7. Anonymous says:

    Ozzie, thae master of buzz-words. It takes action bro, not trips to Florida.

  8. Jah Dread says:

    Really lame Mr Minister and Mr Director. Why doesn't CIG buy containers and place them in strategic locations for people to use?. Better yet, why don't they go and beg someone to do buy them?. We going backwards everyday, my word!.

    • Anonymous says:

      Collections containers exists in various places, e.g. supermarkets. You just need to use them.

  9. Anonymous says:

    How about to stop buying overpackaged goods? 

  10. Anonymous says:

    There is private sector recycling of glass, plastics, batteries and aluminium in place now, however for recycling to become a natural occurance in the Cayman Islands, Government MUST LEAD in this initiative and provide necessary legislation and education as well as negotiate with overseas authorities and recycling centers in accepting our recycleable junk, if a recycling program is to be successful.

    Recycling coud very well be the solution to our growing garbage problem.

    • Anonymous says:

      You are 100% wrong Govt must stay out of the recycling business and let the recyclers take care of it themselves.

      I process millions of pounds of recycle material every year and when Govt sticks there ideas into it it messes all things up.

        For example everytime the Govt ships aluminum cans off island they loose money and when they collect them they loose even more money.

      Case in point is that the local civic organisations begging for people to buy bins for cans at $250 each and then what?  Who will process the material ? Pay for shipping ? Trucking ? Or  are they going to beg me to clean up your charity project out of my pocket.

       

       

    • Anonymous says:

      10;53

       

      You are so correct. This is a law that government has to legislate. i sure hope it doesnt take them 12 months to bring to the LA.

      Just purcahase the regulation off the net somewhere. Shouldnt be that hard.

      The hardest thing to do is to educate the people of its importance and apply fines for not following the law.

      Remember these guys cant offend the people,  they need their votes next time around.

      God help us!!

       

  11. Anonymous says:

    How about starting by recycling the government.

  12. Anonymous says:

    What is the big deal why the holdup, Why not just start a mandatory recyling program and separate any new trash brought into the freaking dump. It's not rocket science… gheez

    • Anonymous says:

      Someone has to pay for recycling lets up the dutys on stuff so we can pay for recycling

      O wait i forgot its cayman garbage and we have lots so its worth more

      Geez its not rocket science thats why cayman has such a good space program

      filled with Gunja and coke

      Remember Matrix and the scrap metal deal the terms just kept changing by govt till they were run off island and then made to look bad

    • Anonymous says:

      The person who hit the troll button probably likes the pile of trash in GT and regularly dumps unwanted things in any empty lot..

  13. Anonymous says:

    Dart the owner of Tropical Shipping will not allow recycle material to leave Cayman on his ships

    • Anonymous says:

      – 10:07.     Is Dart really the owner of Tropical Shipping.Where is this going to stop ? We have started down a slippery slope and if the mother country does not intervene I fear only bad can come of this. We are putting all our eggs in one basket and history has shown that is never a good thing. The saying "absolute power corrupts absolutely" does not only apply to people in government.Come on UK, in the interest of the common good ,limit this man or his Group's  empire building here in the Cayman Is.

      • Anonymous says:

        Don't blame him for owning it if he really does, someone had to put it up for sale…But this is most likely just another rumor..

    • anon says:

      Is this actually true?

    • Anonymous says:

      Why all the thumbs down, trolls? I had no idea that he owns Tropical Shipping. Does he? Is it true that he owns Hurleys and/or Kirks?

      Come on people, don't lose hope. Everything gets tested. Things built on the rock stand and the rest…well you know the story.

      Let us all clamber on to the rock and give each other a helping hand. Be strong.

    • Anonymous says:

      Please provide proof of this and explain how you came to this conclusion..

    • Anonymous says:

      Enough with the DART conspiracy theories!  

      Read people, this is public domain news:  

      "Tropical Shipping, headquartered at the Port of Palm Beach in Riviera Beach, is being sold for about $220 million to a subsidiary of Saltchuk Resources Inc. of Seattle.

      It is owned by Atlanta-based AGL Resources Inc. (NYSE: GAS), which Monday announced it has signed a definitive agreement to sell Tropical to Saltchuk.

      If the transaction closes as expected in 90 days, Tropical will go from being part of a publicly traded company to being owned by a family business. Founded in 1982, Saltchuk is owned by sisters Nicole Engle, Michele Seaver and Denise Tabbutt, whose father Mike Garvey co-founded the company."

      • Anonymous says:

        Are you trying to make people believe that Dart is not  AGL? or that dart has nothing to do with saltchuk family? eitherway if you push some more keys on your computer you will find the truth

  14. Anonymous says:

    Warning To Workpermit Holders

    Immigration Enforcement has been targeting people that recycle scrap metals