Residents of the Virgin Islands are being urged to engage in waste reduction and recycling to reduce the garbage stream at Pockwood Pond in the absence of the incinerator which is offline.

Manager at the Department of Waste Management, Mr. Neville Allen said the incinerator is expected to be offline until further notice and is seeking the public’s active cooperation to reduce and divert waste from Pockwood Pond and significantly reduce fire and other hazards on site.

Mr. Allen said, “The public is being asked to rinse and separate plastic, glass and aluminum household waste and utilise the Territory’s “We Recycle” programme.

By diverting your glass, plastic and aluminum containers we can divert at least 30% of what goes to Pockwood Pond.”

Mr. Allen also noted that while the department has seen an increase in the of waste being diverted because of the “We Recycle” programme, more can be done.  “We want to continue to encourage the community to take every opportunity to divert and recycle waste,” he said.

According to Mr. Allen, everyone has a responsibility for managing waste. He reiterated that the community participation is needed in this process by using the 7 R’s of the waste management strategy.  “We want the community to Reform, Restrict, Reduce, Recycle, Return and Rethink how waste products are managed,” Mr. Allen added.

The Incinerator was taken offline on the 10 – 6 shift on Sunday, February 6 when certain components integral to the operation failed. A massive fire erupted on February 14 that resulted in extensive damage to the electrical system and equipment. The incinerator is expected to be out of commission for at least six months until repairs and equipment replacements can be made.

The Department of Waste Management is committed to ensuring that the natural beauty of the Territory is maintained by utilising state of the art waste management technology to ensure timely collection disposal, and where possible, the recycling of waste.