Residents will be asked to start a new way of life on Monday as Government launches its new trash collecting scheme.

This will include a once-a-week pick-up of both recyclable products and regular garbage.

The recycling collection service will be handled by Talbot Enterprises -- a Somerset-based general contracting firm which also works at the Pembroke Dump.

Government's solid waste manager Mr. Dan Hoornweg said the recycling service will cost about $200,000 a year.

And it will only pick up items put out in clear blue biodegradable bags initially provided by Government.

Aluminium cans, steel food cans and glass should be placed in one bag, with newspapers bundled separately in another clear blue bag.

These bags should be placed out at the regular collection points before 7.30 on the morning of the new collection day.

Government trash trucks will collect regular garbage at the same time.

The blue recycling dumpsters located throughout the Island will be phased out.

Each household is expected to receive 10 free blue bags in the mail before Monday.

If residents have not received them by the weekend, they can collect them at their neighbourhood post office.

Once the free bags have been used, householders must buy more.

They are available in supermarkets and cost less than the average trash bag.

The new pick-up schedule will see trash collected from specific areas of the Island on a set week day (see schedule below).

The Corporation of Hamilton is expected to continue trash collection in the city where businesses already participate in recycling.

Letters informing residents about pick-ups relating to their areas have been mailed to residents.

The Corporation of Hamilton launched a programme of collecting recyclables several months ago, which has proved a big success.

Special Tuesday and Friday pick-ups have been arranged for businesses requesting collection.

The corporation is also expecting a steady increase in demand for pick-ups.

Government, however, is already getting negative feedback from some who believe the scheme is too much, too soon.

One Smith's Parish resident, in a letter to the Editor on Tuesday, asked that the programme be delayed until January 1.

"The proposed plan to cut garbage and trash collection down to one day a week is worrying,'' the resident wrote. "The plan should be implemented more gradually and the public should have a longer time to get used to the change.

"The removal of labels from glass containers and tins is a tedious, time-consuming process. Some labels come off fairly easily but others are stuck as fast as the TCD stickers on the windshields of our cars. Hours of soaking and scraping are necessary to remove them.'' The writer also complained about the suspension of the annual Spring pick-up this year.

Works and Engineering Minister the Hon. Clarence Terceira said householders do not have to remove labels from products.

He said it would help if they rinse glass bottles, jars, and steel cans before bagging them.

Dr. Terceira said Government would organise a Spring clean-up that would collect large household items from around the Island in a week.

He said this would either happen in April or May. It will be announced later.

But, overall, Dr. Terceira said he anticipated very few problems with the new trash collecting system.

He said even though pick-ups would occur once a week, it would not mean staff redundancies.

"The (Bermuda Industrial) Union is very much with us on this whole programme,'' Dr. Terceira said. "The men will still work five-day weeks. It will probably ease them up a little by being able to complete each area, rather than having sections left over as is the case now.'' Praising the garbage men for their hard work and good attitudes, Dr. Terceira said the new scheme would also allow for better maintenance of the trash trucks.

"So far, reaction has been positive,'' he said.

Mr. Hoornweg agreed, adding that "the public is as keen about recycling or more keen than anywhere in the world''.

He admitted that the department expected to get some criticism for the first two weeks, but he said it expected to have the public's full support by Christmas.

Dr. Terceira said a suggestion of hiring people to separate regular trash from recyclables or hiring the trash collectors at the Pulverisation Plant on Marsh Folly would not be popular.

"That would be a messy thing to separate food garbage,'' he said. "Nobody would want to work at that one.'' After the garbage is collected, recyclables will go to Government's Devon Springs Recycling Plant where they will be separated.

About 17 tons of aluminium cans and some 25 tons of steel food cans will be sent monthly to the US for recycling, Dr. Terceira said.

White office paper will also be sent off the Island.

Glass is being tested for local use in the manufacturing of concrete products and asphalt, while newspaper is used for animal bedding and compost.

Keep Bermuda Beautiful president Mr. Barry Brewer said it was unfortunate that Government could only accommodate once-a-week pick-ups, but "it is a small price to pay for something so important''.

"We have worked from the very beginning with various parties to prove recycling can happen in Bermuda,'' Mr. Brewer said. "It will never be a money earner. In fact, it will cost us a little more, but it is worth it because of its advantages to the environment.'' Noting some of the complaints about the programme, he said once the scheme was implemented, it should be monitored and reviewed with input from the public as soon as it was appropriate.

MR. DAN HOORNWEG -- "The public is keen about recycling.''