Glass recycling restarts as Flowers using it in blocks
(CNS): Members of the public can go back to dropping off their glass at the various Department of Environmental Health (DEH) depots when they take their aluminium and type 1 and 2 plastics for recycling. The Flowers Group has partnered with the DEH after securing a crusher so they can use the glass in their blocks and help reduce the amount of garbage going into the landfill, which is facing an ever more uncertain future.
The UPM government has not yet extricated itself from the deal with Dart that finally went south this summer, but it has not begun a new process to tackle the country’s waste management problem. As a result, the clock is now ticking on the George Town dump, which could run out of space before the next government manages to resolve the problem — something successful administrations have been unable to do for almost two decades.
But the more recycling the country can undertake, the longer the DEH can eke out the landfill, given that the government also failed to promote the reduction and reuse of waste or to deliver on the long-awaited single-use plastic ban.
DEH Director Richard Simms said the resumption of the glass recycling programme aims not only to reduce the environmental impact of glass waste but also to promote sustainable practices among residents.
“This public-private partnership fosters a sense of camaraderie and community while highlighting the collective responsibility in preserving the natural beauty of the Cayman Islands. It’s also a sustainable step forward to a cleaner and brighter future. We are looking forward to a long-standing working relationship with the Flowers Group,” he added.
The crushed glass is being used in a new type of block being manufactured by Flowers “Our goal is to create success for the Cayman Islands for generations to come,” said Frank Flowers, the firm’s managing director. “This project is a small part of the bigger picture to achieve this objective. We are thrilled to recycle glass products locally and repurpose these materials into our building products ushering a new wave of sustainability for the Cayman Islands building industry.”
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Category: Environmental Health, Health
Great point! A recycling drop-off location makes it so much easier to dispose of waste responsibly. It’s great to see more communities providing these options! Hopefully, more people take advantage of them to reduce landfill waste and protect the environment. Have you used a local drop-off center?
Sure, there is literally a mountain of rubbish overflowing into a brand new hospital, but recycling glass bottles will fix everything. Backslapping capital of the known universe.
Perhaps it should also be a requirement that bars and restaurants have glass recycling bins inside and outside their establishments.
Considering the number of beer bottles etc each of these types of business use, this needs to be written in to law to ensure compliance. And business owners should also be able to prosecute anyone putting regular waste in to the recycling bins.
In other words CIG could not do it on its own. It has the money but not the will. It has the workers but can not do work unlike Dart. Nothing new. Nothing that will ever change.
Locations of Recycle Depots:
– Ed Bush Sport Centre, West Bay
– Foster’s at the Airport Centre, George Town
– Kirk Market, George Town
– Camana Bay Recycling Centre, West Bay
– BarCam Service Station, Red Bay
– Foster’s at Countryside Shopping Village, Bodden Town
– Haig Bodden Sport Centre, Bodden Town
– Craddock Ebanks Civic Centre, North Side
– Captain George Dixon Park, East End
Residents can also deposit recyclable items at the 24-hour drop-off site located at the front of the George Town landfill.
See https://www.gov.ky/deh/recycling.html for the types of items that can be dropped off.
Finally… a piece of really good news!
Thank you, Flowers family!
CNS: It would be good to put out a reminder to public as to where all of the recycling drop-off points are located.
I tend to use the one at Kirk Market, but I know there are many others.
Will bars, restaurants and hotels be required or encouraged to recycle their glass? If not we will only be scratching at the surface of glass recycling in Cayman.
Yes, it would be really great if these brown bins could be placed at all of the bars, restaurants, hotels, etc.
WELL DONE Flowers family!
If I was a wealthy person I would do something significant like this for these islands.
Come on billionaires, you can do it too!
Great!
Shame on DART for failing to support their own dubious DEH award. Congrats to Flowers, and other Caymanian businesses willing to step up to fill these 2025 corporate responsibility and social expectation voids. Cayman is home to many millionaire and billionaire families that might choose to make similar legacy contributions to our islands, and change the narrative that DART has capacity, willingness, and/or experience to solve all.
Thank you Dart for your investment and initiative to kickstart glass recycling in Grand Cayman and for the 10 plus years which you provided this service free of charge and with no commercial benefit.
Thank you Flowers Group for taking up the mantle, long may it continue.
Shame on the Cayman Islands government and DEH for failing to provide this service to its people.
Dart wasn’t getting a price break on the paving stones they were buying. Glass crushers don’t run on and with breeze.
Waste management is a basic government service that CIG has failed to provide for decades. Shame on them.
another sad indictment on cig and civil service.
any comment mrs governor?
any comment chamber of commerce?
any comment CITA?