Plastics recycling now in PoS

The R4 Organisation is a not-for-profit environmental group with the goal of encouraging and empowering citizens to act more responsibly with how much resources they use as well as how they dispose of their non-biodegradable, recyclable garbage. The organisation has been actively promoting waste reduction, re-use and recycling in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean through an anti-littering campaign, circulating informative pamphlets, and educational DVDs to schools.

In February 2008, R4 commenced a recycling initiative that used an 18-foot-long, wrought-iron plastics collection receptacle, in the shape of a bottle, to attract members of the public and entice them to think and behave in a more eco-friendly way. A quick stop at the attractive display and they could conveniently recycle at no extra cost.

Piranha International offered its recycling services to the R4 Organisation. The R4 initiative successfully diverted over half of a million polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) or plastic bottles that would have otherwise been dumped in our local landfills.

Initially, the large recycling receptacle was located at Victoria Square near Park Street, but was later relocated to the Augustus Williams Park in Port-of-Spain. Due to a lack of consistent funding and public misuse, however, the recycling bin had to be removed in December 2008.

The Marketing Manager of Direct TV, Esther Pierre, an environmentally conscious individual who made regular use to the recycle bin in an effort to do her part, collected and deposited her plastic bottles on a weekly basis. When Pierre noticed that the bin had been removed, she contacted the Environmental Projects Manager of R4, Nadine Lakatoo. Together, they conceived the idea to continue the recycling programme with the assistance of private company sponsorship.

Direct TV sponsored the R4 initiative and also invited some of their corporate partners to join their efforts. Entities like the Public Sector Transformation Group (PSTG Caribbean), The Edge Advertising and Design Limited, Hott 93 and JTZ Publishing gave the financial support.

Last Monday, the giant collection bin returned to the Augustus Williams Park The sponsorship will cover a few months of bin maintenance. Additional sponsors will guarantee the plastics collection receptacle will remain in Port of Spain. R4 will soon install similar recycling bins in Chaguanas and San Fernando.