RECYCLING PROJECT HELPS MORE COMMUNITIES
With school communities taking the focus at the launch of the first school based centre.

Over the past ten or so years, recycling has become quite an industry in Barbados providing well over 100 jobs and processing tonnes of waste that would otherwise head to the Mangrove Pond Landfill. The Future Centre Trust has been assisting this transition through a number of projects including the CoRe NETWORK project to which communities were invited to apply to in February 2011. This project is set to assist up to 12 community organisations, including up to 9 schools, become the recipients of Recycling Collection Centres, Educational Programmes and other deliverables under this project which is funded by The Coca Cola Foundation.

“Today we see the opening of the CoRe NETWORK Centre at the Ursuline Convent Schools -  the third school based collection system by the Future Centre Trust since 2009, but the first with The Coca Cola Foundation (CCF) contribution,” says Nicole Garofano, Administrative Director of the organisation. “Previously we were able to implement a pilot project with funding thanks to the TD Group which included two schools and one community organisation. Through that experience and with the assistance and guidance of our Project Coordinator, Mrs Vicky Merrick, we have now developed this centre at the Ursuline Convent Schools which is the first school based centre implemented with the CCF funding.”

“We are pleased to have the support of the Ministry of Education who saw this project for its many faceted benefits to the school based environment,” commented Ms Garofano. “We received the majority of our applications from schools through their environment clubs, key clubs or through interested teachers and receiving this support has been very beneficial,” she added.

The project works with the community to develop a ‘Green Team’ of recycling monitors who will help manage each centre on a weekly basis. This includes opening and closing of the centre, ensuring it is kept clean and that all signage is in place correctly and that collections by another project partner, B’s Recycling, are being completed weekly. The school and/or community group is encouraged to bring in recyclable material from home to add to the collection of what is used within the school grounds. “This helps with the educational aspect at home and shows how much waste a school community collects every week,” explained Mrs Merrick. “Once the students take this information home, and of course we also encourage participation within the PTA of the school, it becomes not only a school project, but a home based change of habit which we hope will lead to greater appreciation of the amount of waste that is generated every day. Hopefully creating such an awareness that they start to consider reducing their waste.”

While the project provides excellent educational opportunities in many areas including environmental studies and social sciences for the older students, but also math, integrated science and even art for younger students, it also provides income, with most items attracting a small payment. These funds can then be used by the school to purchase more supplies or other worthwhile and needed inputs as determined by the faculty.

“The Ursuline Convent is a great example of many areas coming together from the outset and creating a very positive environment to ensure this project’s success,” highlighted Mrs Merrick. “The school already has a great number of students signed up to be Recycling Centre Monitors and assist with the management, in addition to assistance from the groundstaff, the principals, the administrators of the school and the parents.”

With this type of community based recycling programme being rolled out to the 12 communities under this initiative and another 3 now coming on stream thanks to the US Embassy partnership to this worthwhile initiative, Barbados is well on its way to reducing the amount of waste that heads to the landfill. Not only that, it bodes well for the longer life use of the new 27 million dollar cell at the Mangrove site, with the absolute necessity of public education being assisted by the Future Centre Trust. Not to mention the foreign exchange earned by the country for what would otherwise be seen as ‘just garbage’ or ‘ewww, that’s nasty garbage’ – for what could be a yoghurt container just finished being consumed in the home. “Education, Education, Education, is the key to everything! Nothing will change without education and without supportive education. This project demands community participation and sustainable plans for sharing the knowledge in the long term. All projects MUST have an educational budget to ensure their success, and this means getting it to the people – in their front of mind! This project is all about that and more – education, waste reduction and benefits to the long term sustainability of the country,” states Ms Garofano.

CoRe NETWORK is focused on Community Recycling and its benefits to individuals, households, schools, other community groups, the landfill, the country’s foreign exchange reserves and the physical environs of Barbados. It is being implemented by the Future Centre Trust with the assistance of the Coca-Cola Foundation. It is supported by the Ministry of Education and the Solid Waste Project Unit under the Ministry of Environment and Drainage. We are pleased to welcome the expansion partners to this initiative in the US Embassy for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.

About Future Centre Trust

The Future Centre Trust is an environmental Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) and registered charity providing environmental education to the public of Barbados. Its mission is “To stimulate awareness and encourage responsible management of the vital relationship between people and nature leading to a sustainable future for all”. This is achieved through various programmes, activities and presentations to the community which are included and highlighted at www.futurecentretrust.org. ENDS

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Tags: B's Recycling, Barbados, Coca-Cola Foundation, community outreach, CoRe NETWORK, environment, Future Centre Trust, Recycling, Solid Waste Project Unit, Ursuline Convent Schools, US Embassy for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Vicky Merrick, Waste Management