In a society dominated by over-consumption of disposable items, Bermuda has become the ultimate throw-away society by generating 1.3 tons of trash per person each year. Daily this works out to be 1.2 pounds more trash than the average American.

“And those figures are for 2003, so it’s sure to be much higher by now,” says waste education and enforcement officer, Amy Harvey from the Ministry of Works and Engineering.

In an attempt to get the public more involved in recycling, a special “waste not want not” campaign was recently launched. The campaign aims to encourage the public to “reduce, reuse and recycle” most items - not just the aluminium, tin and glass.

Ms Harvey says the campaign consists of 10 steps which include recycling household and vehicle batteries, vehicle oil and paints, using re-usable drink and lunch containers for work and school, reusing scrap paper, using canvas bags for shopping trips, using rechargeable batteries, donating unwanted items to thrift shops and buying items with less packaging or containers that are recyclable.

“Yellow battery buckets, or drop off points are available at most pharmacies, garages and supermarkets,” she adds. “Also, vehicle batteries are recyclable and can be taken to any participating gas station, garage, or to the Devon Springs Recycling Centre for safe and correct disposal.”

Ms Harvey insists the hazardous waste poses a danger to collection staff who may be injured or even poisoned by acids, fires and explosions.

One rather nasty aspect of trash collection sometimes involves waste of another, sometimes more hazardous type: animal and even human excrement: “All animal waste should be dried, bagged and sent to Tyne’s Bay Public Drop-Off. This is one of the items that we urge people to keep out of their trash for health and safety reasons for the collections staff. They have been inflicted with dog waste and even human waste that gets crushed at the back of the truck and then splattered onto them. It is very unpleasant for them.”

Vehicle oil and un-used paint can also be dropped off at various collection points. And while hardware stores will relieve you of any unused paint or empty paint cans, motor oil can be recycled at the following gas stations: St. David’s Esso Marine, Jasco Causeway Shell, Crawl Hill Esso Service Station, BIU gas station, St. John’s Pit Stop, Warwick Gas, Raynor’s Garage and Boaz Island Marine and Service Station.

“Most people don’t know that motor oil can be recycled if it is not contaminated and we aim to recycle, or ship about 1,000 tons a year in the future,” she says. Meanwhile the market for recyclable cans, tins and glass is booming and even though between 10 and 15 percent of Bermudians currently participate in recycling efforts, 39.75 tons of aluminium, 121.9 tons of tin and 956.2 tons of glass was shipped to the United States last year for recycling.

“The money comes back to help support the programme and rates are quite good right now,” says acting waste management officer, Stephen Gilbert. “While the aluminium figure might seem low, remember that an aluminium can only weighs about 40 grams.”

Mr. Gilbert is encouraging businesses to get involved in the recycle drive by placing special bins in offices for cans, tins and glass.

In a recent clean-up operation, Keep Bermuda Beautiful volunteers collected 1.53 tons of trash from four sites around the Island including Covello Bay, The Reefs, Mullet Bay Park and Penhurst Park. This included volunteer divers who removed “dumped” bikes and scrap metals from the ocean.

Mr. Gilbert is quick to add that since Tyne’s Bay is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. no one has an excuse to dump unwanted trash - not even at special functions: “We have special event bins which are available free of charge for both recycling and trash and they simply have to be returned to us.”

He elaborates that a new program, involving the placing of special recycling containers at bus stops around the Island will also be launched over the next two months.

“We are also developing a community club programme and the pilot of this is running at Southampton Rangers. By recycling, the club is reducing its private waste bill. And as the recycle service is free, this will encourage more clubs to participate.”

A special complaints hotline is available at 297-7953 if any member of the public feels they are not getting the service they deserve, need or want.