Solid Waste
VI Senate Environmental Briefing Book
Category:
Solid Waste Management
Topic:
How can you manage your solid waste?
Where does it go?
The U.S. Virgin Islands faces the concern of limited space for solid waste collection and disposal with a continuous growing population which produces almost three times the national daily average of solid waste. The average American produces about 4 pounds of waste per day per person; whereas, the average Virgin Islander produces almost 12 pounds of waste per person per day. We import most of what we use locally, and once it comes here, most of it stays here. Hence, this introduces the issue of proper disposal of waste.
What is solid waste?
It is any garbage or refuse from industrial, commercial, agricultural or community activities.
What is MSW?
Municipal Solid Waste is the garbage that is generated from households: food scraps, cardboard boxes, pampers, papers, plastic bottles, old clothes, and anything that you throw away.
Our local landfills and transfer station are limited by local and federal regulations as to the type of waste that they receive. Hazardous, medical, and electronic waste, tires, batteries and any type of fluids are also not accepted.
Residents have two methods available for solid waste disposal locally. Some residents receive house-to-house collection, at least twice per week. Those residents who do not receive this service must dispose of their waste at one of several bin disposal sites located strategically around each island.
Businesses are required, by law, to dispose of their waste directly to the landfill. Many business owners and residents utilize the services of private haulers. This includes apartment buildings, condominiums, and commercial and industrial businesses. Private haulers disposing waste at the landfills must be inspected and permitted on an annual basis to collect and dispose of waste either at one of the local landfills on St. Croix and St. Thomas or at the transfer station on St. John.
Each type of disposal practice requires adherence to various guidelines. House-to-house collection requires that resident’s place their waste in a large receptacle lined with a plastic bag with a secure cover at the curbside on the day(s) of their neighborhood collection. Disposal at the bin sites also requires that the waste is placed inside of the disposal bin and not on the ground adjacent to the bin. There are certain items that are not collected curbside or at the bin sites.
The following items need to go directly to the landfill for disposal
- Yard waste – reduced to 24-inch lengths
- Scrap metal – reduced to 4-foot lengths
- Appliances – remove Freon and all other fluids
- Junked cars - remove batteries, tires and all fluids
- Bulk waste - furniture, bedding, and other household goods
- Gas Cylinders - punctured or have the tops cut off
- Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste - reduced to 4”x4”x4” chunks
- Loads cannot be mixed with other debris or household waste
The following items are not accepted at bin sites, transfer stations or local landfills:
- Appliances or vehicles with Freon
- Tires
- Batteries
- Flammable Paint or Asbestos
- Medical or liquid Waste
- Grease - such as cooking oil
- Junked Cars - unless fluids are drained and tires and batteries are removed
- Gas Cylinders - unless punctured or top is cut off
- Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste - unless reduced to 4”x4”x4” chunks
- Mixed Loads
- All loads are to be sorted by category: debris, concrete, steel, wood, household waste
How to divert your solid waste from the landfill
Reduce, recycle, and reuse are options to diverting the amount of waste that you produce which ends up in our landfills. Consumers can control the amount of waste that they produce by shopping smart and supporting the various recycling programs that are being introduced locally.
- Aluminum recycling has been available locally for several years.
- Glass recycling options are being investigated locally.
- Electronic or E-Waste collection and disposal drives have been introduced.
- Backyard composting is also an option for the disposal of food and/or yard waste.
Source reduction is another good method of reducing your waste. It is the practice of designing, manufacturing, purchasing, or using materials in ways to reduce the amount or toxicity of trash created.
The reuse of various products also diverts them from entering the waste stream. It also saves natural resources, reduces toxicity of waste and reduces costs.
