has since received a great deal of public support, according to waste management officer Mr. Clarkston Trott.

The Ministry of Works & Engineering started the programme by identifying which hazardous materials are being generated locally and subsequently looked for appropriate means for disposing of toxic materials.

After making contact with various companies abroad, the Ministry secured a contract with a US firm to receive Bermuda's toxic waste.

Said Mr. Trott: "We started off by setting up facilities to receive the waste on special drop-off days. Chemists from the US came down to identify and sort the materials at the drop-off. And then the waste was shipped to their facility.'' He added: "This programme was open to both commercial generators of toxic waste and the general public. But now we're receiving more and more hazardous waste so we've had to separate the two.'' The Ministry solicited the help of various commercial sites to offer the public drop-off points for paint and paint products. And 17 companies obliged.

As well, a hazardous waste drop-off site, which is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., was established at Tynes Bay.

"Other special material generated by householders can be brought in on specific drop-off dates,'' said Mr. Trott, adding that the Ministry will set up a drop-off date and location for later this year.

The hazardous materials, which are dropped off at Tynes Bay and the private companies, are ultimately transported to Sallyport where a site has been established for further packaging before the materials are shipped off to the US.

In addition to the toxic waste scheme, the battery bucket programme, which involves 45 stores around the Island, has been very successful, noted Mr.

Trott.

The Ministry supplies the locations with five gallon buckets and collects their contents once or twice a month.

Another special waste programme has recently been developed for fluorescent tubes and ballasts, said Mr. Trott.

"Householders don't generate very much fluorescent waste but we receive a lot from businesses. If householders do have fluorescents, they can drop them off at Tynes Bay.

"Commercial generators, however, are asked to take their fluorescent waste to Marsh Folly where we box them and send containers off to the US.'' He added: "The volumes are very high. We sent off anywhere from four to six containers already this year with each of them containing about 5,000 tubes.'' Waste oil also requires special disposal methods, said Mr. Trott, noting that the Ministry just started an on-call service.

"We collect oil from about 100 different locations -- mainly garages -- and we transfer it to containers which are shipped to contractors abroad,'' he said.

"We also realised there was a need for household disposal facilities so we asked eight gas stations to place 280-gallon waste oil tanks on site.

Householders can just go there and pour their waste oil in the tanks.'' The hazardous and special waste programmes are constantly being developed as part of a comprehensive waste management plan. "The fluorescent tube, waste oil and paint drop-offs have only just been introduced this year,'' said Mr.

Trott. "So most of the programmes are still in their infancy. But I'm very happy with the public participation so far.'' SORTING WASTE -- Technicians must be specially trained to sort and package hazardous waste.

TOXIC TRASH -- The hazardous waste is sorted and placed on special blocks in case of leakage.

MINI SUPPLEMENT SUP