not yet joined Government's new recycling programme.

Hotel managers yesterday said they were committed to the idea of recycling but that their properties were up to a year away from adopting the practice.

Works Minister the Hon. Clarence Terceira said he expected hotels to become recyclers, if not sooner then later.

"We expect them to cooperate as good citizens and join in recycling,'' he said. "I'd be very surprised if they didn't.'' A key reason for hotels not yet participating in the Government-planned recycling scheme is their separate status from households. They organise their own garbage collections through contracts with private haulers.

"They do their own,'' Dr. Terceira said. "And what we're saying to them is get organised to do it, be good, cooperative citizens to help the environment and Bermuda.'' Large hotels contacted on Friday -- Sonesta Beach Hotel, Elbow Beach Hotel and the Princess hotels -- held meetings last week on recycling.

"We're in the process of putting a committee on recycling together,'' Mr.

Timothy Russell of Elbow Beach said.

"We'll be meeting next week to see what we can do for a programme at the hotel. We want to get into this. We're very favourably disposed to doing it, and we'll be asking (our management company) Wyndham Resorts to see if we can get some help.'' Mr. Stephen Barker, regional vice president of the Princess Hotels, said meetings have already taken place "to make sure we're doing whatever we can.

"We're very much in favour of recycling. We've requested assistance from Works and Engineering,'' he said.

"It's important. There's no no doubt that if all householders are doing it and then the people who produce the most garbage don't that the whole effort is wasted.

"We intend to participate to the fullest we can.'' Mr. David Boyd, managing director of Sonesta, said he met recently with his chief engineer to talk about a recycling plan for the hotel.

He said there would be a need to create separate collection areas for recyclable goods such as bottles and cans, cardboard boxes and newspapers.

Mr. Boyd thought it would take at least a year to begin any recycling at the hotel.

Government's recycling expert Mr. Dan Hoornweg said smaller hotels and guest cottages were able to move faster toward recycling than the larger properties.

"All of them have been pretty receptive to it,'' he said. "Most of them are thinking about how best to do it. Nobody's up 100 percent yet.

"This plan is very much in its infancy. What's needed are ways to make it easier for hotels to participate.'' Mr. Hoornweg said one possibility was the creation of cheaper collection rates for recyclable goods than regular garbage.