Following complaints from Marsh Folly workers of illegal dumping at the facility, Government has issued a reminder that the offence now carries a $10,000 fine.

The Department of Waste Management is also installing cameras to watch “dumping hot spots around Bermuda” and catch offenders, according to a spokeswoman.

The composting facility accepts only residential and commercial horticultural waste, such as Christmas trees — but has been plagued with rubble, metal, household waste and even dead animals, according to workers.

Under the Ministry of Public Works’ waste management plan, disposal sites are equipped to deal with specific types of waste.

“Improper disposal of waste — for example, the inclusion of metal wastes in with leaf and limb debris delivered to the Marsh Folly Composting Facility — can injure workers and cause expensive equipment failure,” the spokeswoman said.

The facility processes large volumes of plant waste, and pileup due to a broken grinding equipment has been blamed for fires in the past.

The spokeswoman added: “Many of Bermuda’s waste items are sent overseas for recycling, while horticultural waste is composted here in Bermuda for use in local landscaping, gardens and farms as a valuable soil amendment. Composting on-island helps Bermuda reduce its carbon footprint in two ways: by reducing the amount of fertiliser that must be imported, and by turning 10,000 tons of locally generated horticultural waste into a product that is reused here.”

Disposal guides are included in the BTC phone book’s blue pages, or online at www.wastemanagement.gov.bm.