WASTE AS A RESOURCE
Humans are the only species that generates waste, polluting the very ecosystems we rely on for survival – a challenge acutely felt on island environments where limited space and topography constrain traditional waste management. By shifting from a mindset of “throwing things away” to viewing waste as a valuable resource, we can capture solid, liquid, and gas waste streams to keep them within our local economy. Upcycling these resources on-island protects our fragile environment, fuels local entrepreneurship, and drives the BVI toward sustainable self-sufficiency.
Recycled Glass Sprouts @ Pockwood Pond Photo: Hezikiah Maddox
OPPORTUNITY
While humans are the only species to generate waste, we are also the only ones who can engineer the solution. In an island environment like the BVI, limited space and topography mean traditional landfills are not a long-term option. Decades of soaring waste volumes have left a legacy of open dumping and burning but the narrative is changing. Through a unified, cross-sector partnership, the BVI’s WE RECYCLE programme is transforming an environmental crisis into a model of organized, sustainable materials management.
OUR APPROACH
Within a healthy natural ecosystem, there is no such thing as waste – every byproduct becomes the foundation for new life. Green VI applies this exact principle to the BVI. By re-framing “waste” as an untapped resource, we are changing how the Territory manages its materials. Our role is to facilitate the connections between Government strategy, entrepreneurial innovation, and community action to help build a modern Materials Management System for the BVI.
RECYCLING POINTS VG & TORTOLA
TONS DIVERTED
MILLION PLASTIC BOTTLES DIVERTED
TONS UPCYCLED LOCALLY
FEATURED PROGRAMMES
A National Partnership for Sustainable Materials Management: The WE RECYCLE programme is a collaboration between the Government of the Virgin Islands and Green VI, established to identify and optimise the most effective recycling frameworks for the territory. Our shared mission is to safeguard public health, foster local job creation, reduce waste and provide raw materials to fuel sustainable BVI enterprise. By demonstrating operational best practices in island-scale materials management, the programme provides a living blueprint for the future.
We Recycle
A National Partnership for Sustainable Materials Management: The WE RECYCLE programme is a collaboration between the Government of the Virgin Islands and Green VI, established to identify and optimise the most effective recycling frameworks for the territory. Our shared mission is to safeguard public health, foster local job creation, reduce waste and provide raw materials to fuel sustainable BVI enterprise. By demonstrating operational best practices in island-scale materials management, the programme provides a living blueprint for the future.
Advocacy & Research
Sustainable systems are built on strong data. Our role is to provide the scientific research and educational frameworks that help catalyse a circular economy. We provide open-access research – including data regarding single-use plastics and the structural mechanics of deposit-refund models – alongside practical, scalable solutions. By continuously analysing materials management strategies tailored for small island states, we ensure our initiatives provide communities with the practical knowledge and tools needed to transform “waste” into resources.
Green Certification
Sustainable development requires a shared standard across the entire economy. The Green Certification initiative provides businesses with the education, practical tools, and operational systems needed to implement green practices, recognizing achievements through Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Leader Accreditations. This programme, developed alongside the Ministry of Natural Resources, channels essential resources into environmental betterment via its dedicated Green Fund. The data and operational models derived from this framework provide the technical guidance needed to support the future Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Plan.
BugOut
Initiated in 2017 on Virgin Gorda, this internationally recognised community-driven programme has successfully suppressed the invasive, disease-causing Aedes aegypti mosquito in key resorts. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes cause diseases such as Zika, dengue, and chikungunya. Innovation, education, clean-ups and community participation are integrated into safe, data-driven integrated vector control operations. We continue to partner with the Government to expand mosquito awareness and community action throughout the BVI.
Green Schools
Through the collaborative SMART Schools project and in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports, Green VI is integrating environmental sustainability into the BVI public school system. With 13 of 15 schools now SMART Certified, we continue to scale this educational impact through our dedicated Green Schools programme. This initiative fosters resilience and environmental awareness in every student by deploying practical, hands-on systems – including recycling stations, school gardens, mosquito control protocols, clean drinking water systems, and energy efficiency audits and retrofits – as well as curriculum-aligned activities and lessons.
FEATURED COMPONENTS
EcoParks
Green VI’s EcoParks are dynamic eco-spaces demonstrating how human communities and the natural world can thrive in harmony through innovation and symbiosis. The ultimate objective of these EcoParks is to establish Centres of Excellence that serve as innovative, sustainable, scalable, and replicable models for other small island states and remote regions. Each EcoPark showcases operational best practices for Materials Management, Food Security, Renewable Energy Production, Water Management, and Education – all intentionally designed to inspire and engage local entrepreneurs, residents, and international visitors alike.
Test Recycling Centres
The Test Recycling Centres serve as a vital bridge, supporting the transition toward the Government’s upcoming territory-wide Waste Management Systems, as outlined in the new National Solid Waste Management Strategy. Processing equipment for plastics and aluminium collected by the WE RECYCLE programme is now fully operational at the centres on both Tortola and Virgin Gorda, alongside machinery designed to convert recycled materials into value-added local products. Beyond immediate diversion, these centres function as data hubs – gathering essential insights on recycling volumes, market values, operational challenges, and costs. This critical data is shared directly with the Ministry of Health to inform and optimize future national infrastructure.
We Recycle School Programme
True environmental awareness combines active education with accessible infrastructure. The WE RECYCLE school framework achieves this by embedding sustainable materials management directly into the daily school routine. Classrooms are equipped with specialized internal sorting bins, which feed into larger external collection points on campus. This physical loop is supported by hands-on, experiential lessons that bring sustainability concepts to life. Simultaneously, the introduction of advanced drinking water filtration systems provides a reliable source of clean water, empowering students to choose reusable bottles over single-use alternatives.
Plastic Fab Lab
Where recycling meets local manufacturing. The Plastic Fab Lab is an innovative workspace dedicated to processing locally collected plastics and reshaping them into sustainable products for the BVI. By turning discarded material into new, useful items, this facility provides a real-world blueprint for small-island circular economics – proving that with the right infrastructure, “waste” can be successfully transformed back into a valuable resource.
INNOVATION
We actively cultivate innovation by seeking out and adopting practical, modern ideas, methods, and products. By prioritizing nature-based bio-solutions and honouring traditional wisdom -from a time when living green was simply a way of life – we blend time-tested heritage with forward-thinking technology to protect human health and sustain our islands.