Recycling depot opens at Prospect gas station

| 06/08/2021 | 35 Comments
  • Cayman News Service
  • Cayman News Service
  • Cayman News Service
  • Cayman News Service
  • Cayman News Service
  • Cayman News Service

(CNS) Residents of Prospect, Red Bay and the surrounding area can once again drop off waste for recycling in the neighbourhood, as a local gas station has offered space for the Department of Environmental Health (DEH) to put new skips. The area lost its previous recycling depot at Hurley’s mid-February, and since then residents wanting to participate in the recycling programme had to travel into town or to Countryside. Meanwhile, recycling is being encouraged at the government hospital, though the Health Services Authority is using a private company for collection rather than the DEH.

The new DEH recycling depot is located at the Barcam Service Station in Prospect and officials from the department said the containers will be emptied daily. This will hopefully take some of the pressure off the depot at the Countryside Shopping Village, where recycling material is at times overflowing out of the skips, demonstrating the need for the additional location for people to take their recycling.

The infrequency of collection at recycling depots, where the build-up of waste is often unsightly, has been a frequent cause of concern. However, officials insist that except where there are delays due to equipment problems or staff shortages, all recycling depots are emptied daily.

Health Minister Sabrina Turner, who is responsible for environmental health as well as being the MP for Prospect, said of the new depot at Barcam, “We are more than happy to make this site a reality. We have been waiting to further empower residents and encourage them to do more to preserve our environment through recycling and this facility will allow us to do so.”

DEH Director Richard Simms encouraged people to recycle waste. “We continue to work on providing more convenient recycling services for the residents of Grand Cayman. We know the new depot is going to be well received by residents of these vibrant communities as they do more to contribute towards a safer, cleaner and greener Cayman Islands,” he added.

The DEH currently manages seven other recycling depots, which can be found at Kirk Supermarket, all Fosters Supermarket locations, North Side Civic Center and Captain George Dixon Park in East End. However, just 1% of waste is actually recycled by residents and businesses across the the Cayman Islands.

The DEH currently recycles the clean aluminium, glass and dry paper that it receives, but is only able to recycle types 1 and 2 plastics because these are the only types in demand by international markets. All of the glass taken to the recycling skips is taken and crushed by the Dart Group, which uses it in construction. Green waste is also recycled and currently used up at the dump along with marl to cover the garbage.

Cayman News Service
HSA’s new recycling bins

Meanwhile, the Health Services Authority says it has made recycling easier and more convenient for staff, patients and visitors at the hospital as well as the health clinics in West Bay and Bodden Town by providing new recycling bins for glass, plastic (types 1 and 2) and aluminium cans 

However, the HSA is not relying on the DEH for pick-up but has instead partnered with the private recycling company, JUNK. According to a release from the HSA, the initiative is a part of its “ongoing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, ensure social responsibility, support a circular economy, and become a corporate leader in environmental sustainability in the Cayman Islands”.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that of the total amount of waste generated by healthcare activities, about 85% is general, non-hazardous waste comparable to domestic waste.

“We estimate that a significant portion of the non-hazardous waste the HSA produces is recyclable,” said HSA Chief Executive Officer Lizzette Yearwood. “On a corporate level, this expanded recycling programme is another step our organisation is taking to do our part to help create a ‘greener’ community while minimising and diverting waste from the landfill, thereby improving the quality of the air and land in the communities we serve.”

“On an individual level, we are providing our staff, patients and visitors, many of whom are very environmentally conscious, with an easy and convenient option to recycle and contribute to the protection of their environment. We are proud to be partnering with JUNK, a company whose goals of economic sustainability aligns with ours,” Yearwood added.


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Category: Environmental Health, Health

Comments (35)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    I am very much pro recycling but maybe DEH might want to use the media to honestly explain what really happens to items after the dumpsters are emptied.

    Curious minds want to know.

  2. Anonymous says:

    why is it mostly(95%) expats you see doing recycling???

  3. Anonymous says:

    Well done Barcam!

    • Anonymous says:

      Nice political favour – this should increase your car traffic and product sales, old boy!

      Certainly you have the parking lot space.

  4. Islandgyal345 says:

    Excellent news! It got more difficult to drop off stuff when they were moved from Hurleys!

    • Anonymous says:

      This is a great location. Easy to park alongside to drop off (& hopefully easy for collection). Thank you to the owners of this gas station.
      Everyone who has a car can recycle. No excuses.

  5. Anonymous says:

    All of the recycling bins would hold more if person’s followed the posted guide lines. For example, flatten all cardboard before putting into the skip, putting all plastic and metal tins loose into the skips not inside a bag/box, etc.

    • Beaumont Zodecloun says:

      Yes. Aluminium cans crush quite easily. Just give them a stomp. Release your momentary pent-up aggressions. 😀

      Glad to see this. It’s a convenient location.

    • Anonymous says:

      There’s signs that implore people to actually use their indicators at roundabouts.

      You think the garden variety of idiot can comprehend a sign telling them not to put pizza boxes in the recycling? I mean, they’re already out of their comfort zone at the recycling drop off, to read instructions is a bridge too far.

  6. Anonymous says:

    The gas station wants to sell gas and profit.
    If putting a few containers for recycling creates revenue on gas sales, well that is an easy choice.

    If they really want to do something useful, they would ban the plastic bottles from their fridge.
    Oops that would mean less profit.

    It is all about money and fooling the people.

    • Anonymous says:

      one step at a time friend. Show them the public sentiment for making the steps in the direction you want and when they see it they will be more inclined to continue..

  7. Anonymous says:

    Unfortunately 90 percent of plastics ca not he recycled economically. So it is ship off to china where little kids sort pit the different plastics.

    The consumer has no choice what to buy and how product are packaged.

    Governments have to force retail to make the change at their cost.

    1 foot of the dump consists of green Heineken bottles only.
    Another 3 feet is plastic Pepsi bottles.

    We the consumer have no choice.

    • Beaumont Zodecloun says:

      Much of the problem (imo) is that the nearest recycling centres (Miami) don’t lack customers, and therefore they can mandate how recyclables come to them; glass must be color-sorted and crushed and placed in a certain bag. It makes it difficult for us to even break even.

      What we neeed, is an intermediary facility which preps the plastic, the glass, the paper products into the bundles that are most marketable and then holds them until a shipping container can be filled and transported.

      Factor in the high cost of fuel here, and we begin to understand the limitations of profitable recycling for the Cayman Islands. I would be happy if we merely broke even, but I suspect this process won’t truly take off until some entity/government/company/MP cousin can make a significant profit.

    • Anonymous says:

      Plastics are great fuel for the Re-Gen plant. Soon come.

  8. Dan says:

    Our unnamed complex on Seven Mile Beach refuses to provide recycling since it would cost $5 a month per resident. Yet, this is a complex with multi-million dollar units. Clearly, the greed shown on this island by property management companies is too high to actually offer CONVENIENT recycling options.

    The simple solution is for the government to offer recycling at a cost that is cheaper than landfill services. Why it is free to dump waste, but it costs money to recycle is the reverse of any type of constructive environmental policy.

    Shame on this island for having so many selfish people, who would rather sacrifice the future of this island and planet to save a total of $5 a resident per month.

    • Anonymous says:

      It amazes me that more people don’t use junk. We are a private house and have our own bins. Weekly collections at $50 a month. I can’t believe stratas don’t use them as it’s so cheap.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Good on Barcam, but surely the DEH could pickup a little more frequently at Countryside…

    • Anonymous says:

      Yes totally agree, usually bins are overflowing. Signage on Shamrock Road would be nice. Some people don’t yet know these collection points exist let alone where they are.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Curious to know if Health Minister Turner (or any of Government Cabinet) recycles?

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