Waste Management Services – Efficient Use Of Recycling And Street Litter Bins

St Helena previously embarked on an extensive recycling program, actively recycling glass, plastics and aluminium drink cans for the benefit of the environment.

Glass and aluminium drink cans (ADC) disposed of in the Olympic Bins (the side that reads ‘Altogether We Recycle’), located across the Island, are collected and delivered to the Public Recycling Facility at Horse Point Landfill Site (HPLS) for recycling.

Larger quantities of glass and ADC wastes can be recycled by disposing of in red wheelie bins for glass and blue wheelie bins for ADC. These wheelie bins are located at bars, community centres and other areas (as mini recycling hubs). The public can also dispose of these recyclable wastes directly into the Public Recycling Facility at HPLS (open 24/7).

The light grey wheelie bins, previously located for plastic waste, are being reclaimed by WMS and repurposed as loaned home quarantine bins as part of the COVID-19 prevent strategy. As such, these bins are temporarily unavailable for plastic recycling. Members of the public wishing to recycle their plastic should contact SHAPE directly on tel: 24143.

To maximise recycling efforts the public are requested not to contaminate Olympic Bins (recyclable side) or red/blue wheelie bins with non-recyclable wastes such as food containers. Contamination of recyclable waste creates a costly cleaning process before recycling that could otherwise be avoided through considerate disposal of non-recyclable wastes e.g. into the side of Olympic Bins that reads ‘Please Do Not Litter’ or disposed into brown wheelie bins with ‘Please Do Not Litter’ signs attached. Recycling bins persistently contaminated will be relocated.

The public are reminded that under Section 78(3) of the Environmental Protection Ordinance: ‘A person who wilfully or recklessly removes or otherwise interferes with a litter bin commits an offence’. The penalty is a fine of £1000.

Environmental Risk Manager, Mike Durnford, commented:

“Recycling is the optimum solution for St Helena to efficiently manage its waste. The more waste we recycle, the longer HPLS will last as landfilling is reduced. I encourage the public to recycle as much glass and ADC as possible when disposing of waste into either the Olympic Bins or the red and blue wheelie bins. Regrettably the content of overly contaminated recycling bins will be landfilled, which defeats the objective of recycling.”

Waste Management Services Supervisor, Anthony Henry, added:

“We would like to thank the Sandy Bay Community for proactively recycling glass and ADC in an efficient manner. The recycling bins located adjacent to the bus shelter in Sandy Bay are never contaminated, as such their content is collected weekly and delivered to HPLS for recycling. This is a good example of efficient use of recycling bins.”

SHG

13 January 2021