ST LUCIA / RECYCLING
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STORY: ST LUCIA / RECYCLING
TRT: 1.57
SOURCE: UNEP
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 24, 25 MAY 2014, ST LUCIA
24 MAY 2014, SOUFRIÈRE TOWN
1. Wide shot, town surrounded by mountains
25 MAY 2014, CASTRIES, SAINT LUCIA
2. Pan right, cruise ship in the bay
24 MAY 2014, DEGLOS SANITARY LANDFILL
3. Wide shot, bulldozer working in landfill
4. Wide shot, rubbish truck dumping
25 MAY 2014, CASTRIES, SAINT LUCIA
5. Various shots, rubbish in the waste stream and in the bay
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Josephat Small, Owner of Recycle It:
“We got the start recycling plastic because there was a lot of plastics going into the landfill, and nothing was being done about it, so we decided to start off the recycling process with plastic, like all the soft drink bottles and stuff. Then we started to do other plastics and we went into scrap metal and those kinds of things.”
7. Various shots, men are working at Recycling It
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Josephat Small, Owner of Recycle It:
“My aim is to make St Lucia more green. The more materials that we can divert from the landfill, the better it will be. Because everybody loves their island, we try to make St Lucia more green.”
9. Various shots, men are working at Recycling It
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Josephat Small, Owner of Recycle It:
“We send the materials all over the world; for example China, United States, India; we send one or two containers to Jamaica, but the majority goes to China, India and the United States.”
11. Various shots, men are working at Recycling It
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Josephat Small, Owner of Recycle It:
“Everything that can be recycled, is being recycled instead of going to the landfill.”
13. Various shots, men are working at Recycling It
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Donathan Mitchell, Recycle It Employee:
“It’s nothing big, but at least we’re cleaning the environment, I should say.”
24 MAY 2014, SOUFRIÈRE TOWN
15. Various shots, waterfall and clean river:
The Island of Saint Lucia in the Caribbean is home to a vibrant and distinct culture and heritage as well as to a rich ecosystem, biodiversity and dazzling landscapes. Nevertheless, this small island state faces many challenges, including climate change, degradation of natural resources, and waste management.
Recycle It, funded in 2001 by Josephat Small, buys ferrous, non-ferrous, plastic, batteries and electronic scrap for recycling.
SOUNDBITE (English) Josephat Small, Owner of Recycle It:
“We got the start recycling plastic because there was a lot of plastics going into the landfill, and nothing was being done about it, so we decided to start off the recycling process with plastic, like all the soft drink bottles and stuff. Then we started to do other plastics and we went into scrap metal and those kinds of things.”
The recycling industry like any other industry faces many challenges which hinders progress and could jeopardize the sustainability of the industry: Low market prices, high operational costs, non-existence of recycling awareness and promotion, financial constraints, low level of governmental support for recycling activities are all contributing factors. However, start-ups such as Recycle It provide replicable models for generating jobs and reducing the impact of waste on small islands.
SOUNDBITE (English) Josephat Small, Owner of Recycle It:
“My aim is to make St Lucia more green. The more materials that we can divert from the landfill, the better it will be. Because everybody loves their island, we try to make St Lucia more green.”
There are twenty one recyclers in the island. Many materials are collected on the island. They are either exported or recycled inside the country to a lesser extent. The items recycled include metals, plastics, paper/cardboard, glass, e-waste, waste oil, tires, wooden pallets and batteries
Recycle It recycles some of these materials for reuse, but mostly exports metals to India, China and the United States.
SOUNDBITE (English) Josephat Small, Owner of Recycle It:
“We send the materials all over the world; for example China, United States, India; we send one or two containers to Jamaica, but the majority goes to China, India and the United States.”
Recycling sites are not evenly spread over the island. Most recyclers offer an incentive for the materials collected. Incentives are not offered for all materials nor are all recyclers able to offer or sustain an incentive programme. Recyclers are willing to offer a collection service for the materials generated by the various publics but are unable to guarantee a sustainable regular collection service.
SOUNDBITE (English) Josephat Small, Owner of Recycle It:
“Everything that can be recycled, is being recycled instead of going to the landfill.”
Recycling standards and regulations are necessary if recyclers are to improve their recycling activities and if the public is to practice recycling. Promotion of the industry requires serious consideration. In order to promote recycling then, environmental education needs to be undertaken particularly with respect to the when, how and where to recycle locally.
SOUNDBITE (English) Donathan Mitchell, Recycle It Employee:
“It’s nothing big, but at least we’re cleaning the environment, I should say.”
The UN International Year of Small Island Developing States also seeks to raise awareness in preparation for the UN Conference on Small Island Developing States, which will be held in September 2014 in Samoa, and will focus on building partnerships for sustainable development.