Waste / Recycle / Reuse / Compost - How Can We Better Deal With Our Wasteful Habits?

Recycle

It wasn't long ago that most Bermudians didn't recycle at all. Not to say that the numbers have greatly improved but at least with the addition of the green pages and the phone book's blue page recycling section, Bermudians are becoming more aware of our wasteful tendencies and how to properly dispose of items. Still, there is only so much a citizen can do that doesn't require a boycott of most items, especially since Bermuda only recycles Aluminium, Tin and Glass.

That's it?! Really?! I am sick when I think of all the plastic bottles I've used in my lifetime piled up in front of me. I am even more sick when I think about the rest of Bermuda's plastic bottles piled up. Am I the only one that walks into the gas station and looks in disgust at the fact that Barrits continues to pump out more plastic bottles without concern for their disposal?

Apparently so. I will force down a coke before I buy anything in a plastic bottle these days.

Shouldn't Barrits be at least partially responsible?

Shouldn't we be leaning towards glass bottles? Or can the things we can? (pun intended!)

Or a refill system where you bring your own container to the store to get Barrits products?

I guess Barrits isn't the only problem but it's certainly one of the largest.

But back to what we can recycle. The most effective recycling programs are those implemented by the government, those made mandatory. However, if everyone in Bermuda began recycling everything they could tomorrow, the facilities would likely be overwhelmed. We would most likely have to increase our facilities to accommodate. A small price to pay for Bermuda's image I think.

A question I've been asking myself recently is why must we use blue bags? Why are we adding bags to the waste? Why can't we have blue bins? I can't seem to come up with any logical conclusion.

Compost

How many people actually compost here? Very little is the answer. Most people have the preconceived notion that composting stinks but when it's done right, it doesn't until turn over. Most people have space for compost but if they don't or if they just don't want it in their yard, could we accommodate them? Could we have a community compost drop off?

There are more and more containers that are actually compostable! We could certainly favor importing compostable packaging over regular plastics to reduce our waste considerably as a community.

Conclusion

Everything is connected. We are such a small island, it should be easy to think in terms of community, yet we don't. Our size makes it so much easier to make drastic changes toward eventual positive outcomes for the community and country as a whole. Name another country that has the money and the resources to make a jump toward a sustainable community? Now all we need is the will. We have to take responsibility for our island and our waste and set an example. Hopefully, that example that will eventually be referred to on a global scale.