MARIGOT--The Collectivité’s new drive-through recycling facility (Déchèterie) at Galis Bay Port will officially open on Tuesday, February 2, with an inauguration, Vice-President Pierre Aliotti disclosed at a press conference at the Department of Sustainable Development office on Monday.
While the new facility has been partially ready for some time, there was a delay while waiting for container sorting bins and a management contract to be awarded. The company Espace Verdé from Guadeloupe has been chosen to manage the facility, which conforms to French and European Union (EU) regulations. A total of three employees working in rotation will supervise drop-offs of recyclable materials by the public.
Up to 18 different items can be accepted at the facility in clearly marked bins. These include glass bottles, paper, cooking oils, automotive oils, car batteries, domestic batteries, paints and solvents, metals, electronic equipment, monitors, fridges, freezers, ovens, dishwashing machines, clothes washing machines, garden waste, furniture, and packing materials.
Items not accepted include hospital waste, gas bottles, car tyres, neon tubes, explosive materials, car wrecks, animal carcasses, and medicines.
Drivers simply enter the facility at one end, drop off their items by following the symbols marked on the bins, and exit the other end. Light vehicles are allowed two entries daily. Pick-up trucks or vehicles with towed trailers may make one entry a day.
Access to the facility is free, but is reserved for residents of French St. Martin with French-side licence plates. Professional companies, shops, commercial businesses and artisans are not authorised to use this facility and must drop off at the French Cul-de-Sac eco-waste site.
Nicole Piper, who has been appointed the first “sorting ambassador” of recycling, is charged with spreading the message about responsible waste disposal and care for the environment, and will be working in the field with three other staff members.
“Our job consists of educating the population on how to sort rubbish and keep the island cleaner,” said Piper. “It’s also very important to educate the younger generation to make sure they adopt the right habits. The key is with the children, because they are open and receptive and less likely to develop bad habits if they are instructed early. So we will be working at all levels to educate the population. We have to change our behaviour, because when we dispose of rubbish, we do have bad behaviour, but don’t realise it. In order to have a sustainable environment for future generations, we have to start with changing ourselves now.”
The overall cost of the project was 822,000 euros, funded from various sources, while management of the facility is estimated to cost the Collectivité 280,000 euros per year.
