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Has a bottle deposit law ever been proposed in the USVI?
As a frequent visitor to STX, I'm always amazed and bewildered they don't have one as a way to reduce the amount of trash on the streets and roadsides. I also don't understand why it's so hard to find a trashcan in downtown C'sted.
The argument that stores and bars would have no place to store the empties if a new law was enacted is a bunch of bunk. Here in Michigan (10 cent deposit), stores and bars that were around in the mid 1970's when the law was enacted and still in business now somehow managed to make it work.
Posted : March 31, 2010 3:12 pm
What do you propose we do with all those empty bottles? We can't even recycle glass down here, and I can't see it being feasible to open more than two bottling plants (one on STX, one on STT).
Posted : March 31, 2010 3:41 pm
Hovensa sends an oil barge to WAPA in St. Thomas frequently. Maybe St. Thomas can ship back their recyclables on the empty barges? Who knows...
Posted : March 31, 2010 4:02 pm
Do you recycle glass on STX?
Posted : March 31, 2010 4:11 pm
There is a 'bottle bill' in the VI today - just most people aren't aware of it. The money is collected on every imported bottle and supposedly goes to the anti-litter and beautification program (part of waste management).
If you really want to get involved and do something about recycling in the VI then join the recycling association (chapters in STX and STJ) show up at the monthly meetings, and volunteer to help the cause. The chapter in STX has partnered with the Boys & Girls club to help get the aluminum and steel can recycling center reopened (soon come) and needs help on future phases to address plastics and glass.
Get involved!
http://www.usvircd.org/RAVI/STXRAVI.htm for more information
Posted : March 31, 2010 6:39 pm
We were saving our aluminum cans for months, waiting for the Boys & Girls Club recycling center to open. Finally we ran out of room and time, and with the permission of one of the coordinators, we dropped off all the cans outside the gate. ELL-OH-ELL!!!
Posted : March 31, 2010 7:00 pm
"soon come" is getting closer. Once the fencing is complete the new 50-to-1 densifier will be installed, of cause we have to get WAPA to turn the power on too. Keep an eye out for an announcement. Won't be long now.
Have faith - "soon come" - heck even the Pickled Greek opened eventually! I still get a kick out of Peter's sign 😎
Posted : March 31, 2010 7:35 pm
We have a glass crusher on island on STJ, sitting in a crate at the Westin, waiting for the funds and know-how for it to be fixed, and then for a way to pay for all that "recycled" glass to go somewhere....
We're fortunate that our aluminum recycling program is going like gangbusters after just a couple of years. And at least places like Maho Bay Campground reuse some of the glass for glass-blowing and jewelry making... but not even a fraction of what is thrown away daily in Presidente bottles.
Posted : March 31, 2010 7:54 pm
Now if we could come up with an idea for those styrofoam clamshell boxes....
Posted : March 31, 2010 10:07 pm
The Buccaneer uses " a recycleable clam shell to go container" They are very proactive.
Aluminum and steel come soon. Newaspapers can go to the Animal shelter, cardboard to cost u less glass is the tough one because of shipping. Plastic could probably be recycled on island using a very low tech system.
The deposit would be great if it was convienent. The new Peter's rest Bin site is supposed to be modeled after Hawaii's recycling system,
Posted : March 31, 2010 11:06 pm
