STATEMENT BY THE HONOURABLE VINCENT O. WHEATLEY

MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

AT THE EIGHTH SITTING OF THE FIRST SESSION OF THE FIFTH HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS

TUESDAY, 20TH FEBRUARY 2024

Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Health and Social Development and the Department of Waste Management are diligently working towards our long terms goals in the area waste management for this Territory, and it gives me great pleasure to inform this Honourable House that new equipment to process glass waste collected through our WE RECYCLE Programme is operational at Pockwood Pond.

Through our partnership with local non-profit organization, Green VI, we were able to acquire the new equipment. Green VI, which has partnered with the Government of the Virgin Islands for environmental betterment since 2016, obtained a grant of fifty-two thousand dollars ($52,000.00) from the Palmer Foundation for the purchase of a new Glass Crusher.  We also received support from additional donors towards the housing and installation of the machinery.

The introduction of the crusher is in line with our on-going efforts to divert as much waste as possible from being burned or buried. The crusher, which is operated and maintained by the Department of Waste Management, is deemed an essential piece of machinery since approximately 20% of BVI waste consists of glass.  When improperly managed, it presents numerous challenges, such as filling up our limited landfill space, damaging the incinerator and contributing to unsightly litter. Whereas, when properly managed, glass waste is an asset and an opportunity. Glass is made of silica, which is essentially sand. When crushed, glass is a valuable resource that can be used as aggregate in construction, roadworks, landscaping, beach restoration, land stabilization, filtration, sand blasting and art applications.

The newly acquired Andela Glass Crusher has the capacity to process 2000 pounds of glass waste per hour. Through the WE RECYCLE Programme, glass bottles and jars are collected and crushed by the machine, resulting in the production of fine sand and various sizes of aggregates. Madam Speaker, the by-product from the crusher will be used to cover incoming waste at the Pockwood Pond Dumpsite to reduce the risk of fires. The crushed glass will also be used at the site as the base for the access road.  In due course, the aggregate will also be used for, among other things, sandblasting, filtration and in sidewalks.

With the glass crusher in place, it is expected that the BVI will be one-step closer in becoming a regional model for effective glass management. Additionally, with the enactment of appropriate waste management legislation, it is anticipated that the BVI's glass waste can be diverted from environmentally harmful practices such as burning, burying, and littering.

Madam Speaker, I would like to encourage residents to support this initiative by rinsing their used glass bottles and containers, and placing them in our WE RECYCLE bins throughout the Territory.  Restaurants, bars and other businesses are also urged to participate by taking clean discarded glass items directly to the Pockwood Pond Facility.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.