Government is ?absolutely planning? to locate the new recycling centre at Bailey?s Bay, according to Works and Engineering Permanent Secretary Derrick Binns.

Dr. Binns also said invitations to tender for smaller details such as early preliminary studies will be sent out in the near future, though any tenders for the actual plant itself are some time away.

The 2004/05 Budget set aside $2.2 million for the new recycling plant. Dr. Binns said that amount probably represented the portion of money left over from last year?s Budget allocation of $1.5 million for the plant in addition to anticipated expenses this year. ?That?s the total expected expenditure,? he said.

The new recycling plant has been in the pipeline for some time, with the old plant at Devon Springs woefully inadequate to address Bermuda?s recycling needs.

Expense is the major limiting factor in the Island?s attempts to recycle. Tin and aluminium are currently sent overseas to be recycled, and the Island is paid market values on the metals ? generally meaning a loss on tin and a small profit, depending on the market, on aluminium.

Bermuda no longer recycles paper due to expenses, however officials at Waste Management have previously stated that is something which may be looked into with the new plant.

Waste management officer Clarkston Trott and Devon Springs Recycling Plant manager Carlos Burch have also previously expressed hopes of exploring the possibility of getting heavier metals ? such as cars ? off the Island. Different methods of recycling electronic waste, such as computers, are also being explored.

?If we could recycle 100 percent that would be ideal,? Mr. Trott said on a previous occasion. ?But we?re always striving to meet both environment and cost factors.?