We Recycle
The WE RECYCLE programme continues to demonstrate the power of collective
action in transforming the British Virgin Islands’ approach to waste management.
Through dynamic partnerships with the BVI Government, local businesses, schools,
houses of worship, and community groups, we are fostering a circular economy
where waste is redefined as a valuable resource.
HOW WE DO IT
Test Recycling Centres are up and running on both Tortola and Virgin Gorda. The hard work of putting partnerships, infrastructure, education programmes and monitoring /evaluation tools in place is done. Long-term funding mechanisms are being implemented. Also, new legislation that will allow for government funding, such as a Container Deposit Bill, is moving forward. The Test Recycling Centres are compiling critical data on system vulnerabilities, best practices, and costs. This will be shared with Government, as it moves toward setting up Recycling Centres on each main island, in keeping with the new Solid Waste Management Strategy.
7 Rs
Recycling Tips
BVI Recycling Map
MILLION PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES RECYCLED
RECYCLING POINTS TORTOLA & VG
TONS UPCYCLED LOCALLY
TONS OF RECYCLABLES DIVERTED
What We Recycle & Upcycle
To complement our WE RECYCLE program, we work with local entrepreneurs to increase Upcycling in the BVI. Here’s how waste streams are currently being managed. Click below to find out more:
GLASS
About 20% of the BVI waste/resource stream is glass. Glass bottles that end up at the dumpsite take up significant space in the limited available area. On Tortola, the public incinerator is shut down for approximately 20 days each year while the Department of Waste Management’s Staff manually chips off glass that has melted onto the incinerator walls. During this shutdown, incoming waste is stored or burned behind the incinerator, creating additional health hazards, such as toxic smoke, flies, and vermin. The two primary strategies for upcycling glass waste in the BVI are Glass Aggregate and Glass Art. Glass Aggregate is used in roads, concrete floors/countertops, landscaping and much more. On a smaller scale, glass can be upcycled for art applications, as demonstrated at Green VI’s Glass Studio.
PLASTIC
About 20% of BVI waste is plastic. Comprising the highest percentage of litter in the BVI, plastic negatively impacts human and environmental health and blocks drainage of runoff, polluting the sea and increasing the risk of flooding. Plastics collected through the We Recycle System are either exported for recycling or upcycled on-island to make polywood. Legislation has been drafted to ban certain types of plastic in the BVI.
ALUMINIUM
About 2% of BVI waste consists of aluminium cans. Most of these are beverage cans, but they can also be food cans. Used beverage cans are baled for export to countries with the capacity to smelt and make new aluminium cans. Recycling aluminium cans (excluding transportation) results in 90% energy savings compared to mining and extracting virgin ore.
ORGANICS
Approximately 40 – 50% of BVI waste is compostable. Food waste, landscaping waste (including branches and bush), cardboard and paper can all be composted or mulched and transformed into “black gold”. With the right systems in place, we can halve what currently goes to the incinerator or dumpsites and create a useful local commodity. Why import mulch, fertiliser (liquid and solid) and compost when we can make our own? Begin your own composting at home. It’s easy!
USED VEGETABLE OIL
Every year, restaurants in the BVI throw out thousands of gallons of Used Vegetable Oil (UVO), which are simply burned in an oil burner at the Pockwood Pond incinerator or sent to dumpsites. UVO can clog sewer lines and drains as it cools and solidifies, which causes blockages and sewage overflows. In the BVI, most structures have embedded lines in concrete, so cleaning, repairing, and replacing lines can involve major additional costs. The aim of UVO is to produce biofuel for generators and vehicles.
SHIPPING PALLETS
The BVI has many wooden shipping pallets, due to our high importation rates. These accumulate as waste, so we are now using them as a resource through the hand-crafting of attractive recycling bins and other useful items by local artisans.
SCRAP METAL
Salt air can take its toll on large appliances and cars. Currently, scrap metal recyclers and the Department of Waste Management help collect, reuse, and export steel and other metals. This was especially important after the hurricanes, as appliances in flooded houses and derelict vehicles were virulent mosquito breeding grounds.
TYRES
Currently, old tyres are being used in some garden projects and our plan is to work with partners to develop the entrepreneurial upcycling potentials of this material.
Featured Entrepreneurs
VI Blockworks
Based on Virgin Gorda, VI Blockworks makes unique products for homeowners and tourists from concrete, recycled glass, conch and whelk shells. An exciting new cement block product line is being developed, which will use substantial quantities of glass waste.
Annie MacPhail Bags
annie macphail™ bags, home accents and accessories are designed and manufactured in the BVI from salvaged/retired sails, kite board kites, ropes and other remnants. Annie’s flagship retail outlet is inside Nutmeg & Co. in Road Town, Tortola. Her custom-made goods are also found at outer-island resorts and in the USVI.
BUGOUT
This Virgin Gorda community-driven initiative reduces breeding sites for the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which causes diseases such as Zika, dengue, and chikungunya. Outreach education, clean-ups and community participation are integrated into safe, data-driven vector control operations.