The level of waste produced by Bermudians is rising by four percent each year, meaning that the amount generated will have doubled in 24 years, a new report warns.

The Government?s draft sustainable development plan ? which sets out a blueprint for the future of the Island ? warns that the cost of disposing of residential waste will soar in the future unless residents cut down on trash.

It reveals that Islanders produce more waste per person than New Yorkers and that it currently costs the Government $14.9 million a year to dispose of household waste, which works out at $129 to collect and $95 to dispose of each ton of trash.

The report says that within the next two to five years Tynes Bay Waste Treatment Facility must be expanded, a new composting facility must be built and that more waste should be transported overseas. And it says a new recycling centre being built at Government Quarry will allow much more waste to be reused.

The report also talks about developing a system already in place at Tynes Bay which uses waste to produce energy. The facility?s incinerator burns 288 tons of waste a day and its two waste streams are now fully utilised, meaning a third will be added next year. Sustainable Development Director Erica Smith said: ?Currently Tynes Bay does produce power and it feeds into the Belco grid. It produces about five percent of the electricity.

?If we are continuing a trend of producing more waste and Tynes Bay is looking at bringing on a third stream, we need to think ?is there a way of using this to produce electricity to take some of the burden off Belco??. At least if we are producing waste, we?ll have an end use for it.?

The report says that over the next ten years, it is projected that 60,000 televisions, computers and other electronic equipment will be thrown out.

?This is concerning as electronics have a high lead content and lead is known to have serious negative effects on children?s brain development,? says the report. ?It also has a high acute and chronic toxic effect on plants and animals.?

The plan says Bermudians do not recycle very much but that a new facility will be able to deal with increased amounts and additional materials and will allow glass to be crushed and sorted into two grades.

In 2003/2004, 38 tons of aluminium and 140 tons of tin were recycled in Bermuda. Ms Smith said the recycling centre would boost those figures. ?The centre will obviously be a more efficient process as well as a more energy efficient process. It will allow the recycling process to expand.?