in Bermuda consists of bottles and cans that can be recycled.

As Keep Bermuda Beautiful (KBB) conducts its fact-finding mission on the feasibility of some kind of `bottle bill' or deposit-refund system to encourage recycling -- as opposed to just dumping beverage and food containers -- the organisation's project coordinator, Vanese Flood, says that such a move could go a long way in helping solve the Island's massive trash problem.

"That's why we invited Pat Franklin, who is the executive director on the Container Recycling Institute in Washington, to come to Bermuda and address our AGM. During her visit here last week, she met with some of the Island's distributors and bottlers. We recognise, of course,'' stress Ms Flood, "that this problem is not created by them -- it is people who buy the products and then behave irresponsibly by not recycling that causes the problem!'' For at least the past three decades, Bermuda, along with most of the rest of the developed world, has become a `throwaway' society. In fact, says Ms Flood, KBB surveys have indicated that only about ten percent of the Island's containers are returned for recycling. In the US, even states without a `bottle bill', score a higher rate, at 39 percent. States that have enacted legislation report their lowest return rates at 75 percent, the highest rising to around 90 percent -- which suggests that a financial incentive to return containers certainly contributes to the programme's success. This would appear to be the case in Sweden, where the aluminium can return rate is the highest in the world.

As Ms Franklin pointed out, the 36 billion aluminium cans that were landfilled in the US in 1995 had a scrap value of over $600 million. "We are literally throwing money away when we don't reclaim valuable resources,'' she said.

"Over the past 20 years we've trashed aluminium cans worth $12 billion -- some day we'll be mining our landfills for the resources we've buried!'' The problem of waste disposal, however, is only part of the problem. The mining of bauxite, used to manufacture aluminium, is causing what Vanese Flood describes as an "horrendous'' effect on the world's environment, where mining `sludge' forms toxic, red mud lakes which then contaminate and, eventually, kill rivers. "This is what's happened in Jamaica, where there's a big bauxite mining industry,'' says Ms Flood. "I would say that, with the rivers running red and brown, killing fish and wildlife, causing big health problems and spoiling tourism, these mining companies are not in Jamaica's best interests and I think that Bermudians need to start thinking about this.'' If the aluminium is recycled for use -- and this can be done over and over again -- 95 percent of the energy used to produce it from raw materials can be saved.

"When you consider that the energy taken to replace all the aluminium cans discarded in 1996 alone, could power Atlanta for a whole year, it gives you some idea of the wastage that's going on,'' she adds.

A `bottle bill' would impose a mandatory deposit system, under which recycling costs would shift from the taxpayer to those who produce and consume the package. "We are not, however, pushing for a `bottle bill' at this time,'' Ms Flood emphasises, "because even though there is ample evidence of its success in the US and Europe, any law implemented here would probably involve quite a lot of tailoring. It would not be right to penalise small businesses, for instance. At the moment, we pay tax on a can of soda and that money goes to Government which then pays Works and Engineering to pick up that can as trash!'' As a result of Pat Franklin's visit, Bermuda's bottlers have announced they will be bringing their own expert in to further discuss the problems facing the Island. Ms Flood, who says that the KBB are holding a series of "very productive'' meetings with bottlers and distributors, emphasises that they, too, are concerned about the Island's image: "They are caring people -- they live here and they love, and want the best for Bermuda.'' Acknowledging that there is some opposition to the idea of any legislation, she comments, "Objectors to the idea of a refund system say that a refund of five or ten cents is no incentive, but I beg to differ on that. We have groups who are making a great deal of money through organised clean-ups. In fact, we have a group going to the Far East who have scheduled eight clean-ups to raise an estimated $15,000. We also have charities, schools, PTA and sports groups who use clean-ups as very successful fundraisers.'' Revealing that there were a total of 11 clean-ups last month -- three of them fundraisers -- as opposed to 11 for the whole of last year, Ms Flood adds, "I think the word is finally getting around that we are helping people set up clean-ups, and how to go about it, by supplying them with garbage bags, organising their tracking, and even arranging press releases and photographs.'' In two recent clean-ups, a sports team retrieved 32 regular bags of trash -- with 41 containing recyclable material, and a local bank gathered a staggering 100 bags of regular trash, 20 sacks of `bulky' items and 36 `recycle' bags.

"To give you some idea of the enormity of the trash problem in Bermuda, all of this was collected on the railway trail between the lighthouse and Camp Hill.'' Ms Flood believes there may well be a need for an incentive, rather than a penalty-based approach to littering. "There are laws which can fine people up to $1,000 -- but no-one ever is! Our litter survey showed there are 6,000 pieces of litter lying around at any one time -- so if we fined $1,000 for each piece, we would have plenty of money to hand over to our schools and hospitals.'' No caption ENVIRONMENT ENV