‘30% of waste going to Pockwood Pond could be diverted by recycling’- DWM
Manager at the Department of Waste Management (DWM), Mr Neville R. Allen Sr, in a Government Information Service (GIS) press release on March 28, 2022, said the incinerator is expected to be offline until further notice and is seeking the public’s active cooperation to reduce and divert waste from Pockwood Pond and significantly reduce fire and other hazards on site.
Practice recycling- Allen Sr
Mr Allen said, “The public is being asked to rinse and separate plastic, glass and aluminum household waste and utilise the Territory’s “We Recycle” programme.
By diverting your glass, plastic and aluminum containers we can divert at least 30% of what goes to Pockwood Pond.”
Mr Allen also noted that while the department has seen an increase in the of waste being diverted because of the “We Recycle” programme, more can be done. “We want to continue to encourage the community to take every opportunity to divert and recycle waste,” he said.
According to Mr Allen, everyone has a responsibility for managing waste. He reiterated that the community participation is needed in this process by using the 7 R’s of the waste management strategy. “We want the community to Reform, Restrict, Reduce, Recycle, Return and Rethink how waste products are managed,” Mr Allen added.
Incinerator will be offline for some 6 months
The Incinerator was taken offline on the 10 – 6 shift on Sunday, February 6 when certain components integral to the operation failed. A massive fire erupted on February 14 that resulted in extensive damage to the electrical system and equipment. The incinerator is expected to be out of commission for at least six months until repairs and equipment replacements can be made.
The Department of Waste Management is committed to ensuring that the natural beauty of the Territory is maintained by utilising state of the art waste management technology to ensure timely collection disposal, and where possible, the recycling of waste.
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10 Responses to “‘30% of waste going to Pockwood Pond could be diverted by recycling’- DWM”
We need more recycling centres, wherever there is a dumpster there should be recycling and long-term we need to remove many of the dumpsters because it shouldnt be easier to dump than it is to recycle.
We need community compost bins so that people without their own yards can dispose of this waste: the content of those community bins could then be used by farmers to assist with our food security.
Virgin Islands and Virgin Islanders need to take the phrase, “Reused, Recycle and Reduced” to heart and seriously. Being a cost center aside, recycle must be a major part of the solid waste management stream/programme. The VI comprises a mere 59 square miles that is spread over approximately 36 islands, cays, rocks, and islets. Consequently, it lacks the acreage to construct, operate and maintain a landfill that last a 100 years or more. Nevertheless, even if such a landfill was in operation, recycling would still need to be a critical component of the waste management stream.