Keep Bermuda Beautiful organisation, which started out as an anti-litter group 28 years ago, continues to promote recycling and green consumerism.

KBB has always worked for a cleaner Bermuda. But they realised their future direction should consider the environment on a larger scale.

They have since expanded their membership, set new goals and objectives and launched a new advertising campaign.

"People must not only understand the problem of litter but also its impact on our environment,'' said Mr. Barry Brewer, president of KBB.

"Last year, the Recycling Committee was incorporated into the new Environmental Committee.

"Since then, the Ministry of Works and Engineering has taken over the recycling programme. And we believe it marks the beginning of an enormous environmental step for Bermuda.

"The Island's ready for it,'' said Mr. Brewer. "The pilot project driven by Mr. Bill Ingham proved recycling could work in Bermuda. And when boxes were put out a few months ago, we received ten times the volume anticipated in recyclables,'' he said.

According to Mr. Brewer, Bermuda can dispose of approximately 14 percent of all garbage through recycling. It costs the Island money. "But it's responsible to recycle and environmentally, it's what we should be doing,'' he said.

The Environmental Committee of the KBB recently kicked-off a campaign to reduce waste in the workplace. And they were pleased to find several companies had already implemented waste management programmes.

But many businesses don't control the amount of waste produced in their environment.

"The infrastructure must be in place first,'' said Mr. Brewer, "People have to get use to reducing, re-using and recycling. And it should become a part of their daily routine. We all have wasteful habits that we can improve upon or eliminate,'' he said.

"And this year drop-offs were made available for batteries,'' said Mr.

Brewer. "This is an excellent step forward -- people are becoming aware of the environment.

"But there's a big problem for Bermuda and recycling,'' he said. "The price per pound of recyclables continues to plummet.

"If it keeps falling, overheads will be high. And Bermuda will be at a disadvantage because of costly shipping and trucking,'' said Mr. Brewer.

Nevertheless, locals are more environmentally conscious. And the KBB has become broader-based by enlarging its membership.

"We want to change the attitudes of Bermuda's community. That, and clean up the Island,'' said Mr. Brewer. "But we know changing attitudes takes time.

Predictably it'll take five years to fully develop and implement our programme,'' he said.

The organisation is in the process of opening a new office. "It's going to be a hands-on headquarters so people can learn how to be environmentally aware,'' said Mr. Brewer.

Previously the KBB had a telephone number which reached the KBB secretary or an answering machine. But the new office will be accessible to the public for information.

"We want to distribute literature on how and when to recycle. And the community will be reminded of days when litter should go out to be picked up,'' Mr. Brewer said.

The KBB also plans to send direct mail to companies. In addition they'll make stickers, which can be pasted on cash registers and the like, to suggest that consumers bring their own bags.

"And in five years KBB expects to have a diversified membership of 5,000 people and 10,000 rockwatchers. There'll be one full time staff member with a rotating group of volunteers,'' he said.

KBB also hopes that recycling be fully comprehensive and operational, Island-wide clean-ups be eliminated and replaced by spot projects, and that Bermudian education include an environmental curriculum.

"We haven't even scratched the surface on what we can do,'' Mr. Brewer said.

"But we're not just a Clean Up Committee anymore. The KBB's typically a lobbying group to raise the community's awareness. And fortunately people are becoming more understanding of their impact on our fragile environment,'' he added.

NEW HEADQUARTERS -- Keep Bermuda Beautiful is in the process of opening up a new office. Pictured are KBB vice president Mrs. Kandaree Burgess-Fairn and KBB president Mr. Barry Brewer.