instead be sent overseas and converted to cash.

Works and Engineering Ministry spokesman Mr. John Odisio said this week Government wants a contractor to collect, process, and ship the scrap steel and other materials in the late spring or summer.

When washers, dryers, stoves, refrigerators, automobiles, and motorcycles are disposed of today, "they are just used as landfill,'' mainly at the airport dump, Mr. Odisio said.

But a contract is being prepared that will change all that, he said. Details are still being worked on, but the contractor will pick up or receive the materials, recover what is still good, "densify'' the rest, and send barges loaded with valuable scrap to markets in the US, he said.

"If the market is high, we'll get a lot of money, and maybe we'll actually make money'' after transportation costs, he said. "If we break even, wouldn't that be great? "Other times, the market will be so low we are going to have to subidise doing this.'' The contractor will also assure batteries and waste oil are removed from vehicles and freon is removed from refrigerators for separate processing, Mr.

Odisio said.

Disposal of fluorescent tubes may also be included in the contract. Between 1,000 and 1,500 cars are disposed of in Bermuda each year. The number of appliances thrown away is not known.

Government recently asked interested contractors to identify themselves to the Ministry of Works and Engineering. Tenders will be called within two months, Mr. Odisio said.

In November, the ministry stopped making special collections of appliances and other large goods.