Recycling in Cayman

Composting Composting – the natural biodegradation of organic materials – is a good way to recycle your leftover food and food scraps. Compost is primarily used as a fertiliser in soil, and can be useful to farmers, landscapers and nurseries. If you enjoy home gardening, making your own compost will certainly save you money on mulch and potting soil and it is a relatively easy activity to manage. Composting systems, typically described as ‘bins’, come in a variety of different sizes, but you can also make your own. A.L. Thompson’s

(SEE AD PAGES 203, 239, 241 & 243) usually has composting bins in stock.

AT WORK

For the most part, work environments sit empty at night, so it is a waste of both energy and money if things are left on. Take these steps to ensure that your work environment is greener: turn off lights and air conditioning, and shut down computers before you leave at night. Set computers to energy-saving mode and don’t use screensavers – rather switch off your monitor. Eliminate unnecessary power use or ‘phantom power’ – the term used to describe the way devices use and waste electricity when they are not on – by unplugging electronics when not in use. Whilst at work, only print when necessary and print on both sides of the page when possible. Send e-cards for birthdays and special events rather than printing invitations. Collect office newspapers and take them to the Humane Society or One Dog At A Time. Stock the break room or office kitchen with reusable dishes and silverware and buy coffee, sugar and other consumables in bulk to avoid extra packaging. Cartridge Smart (Tel: (345) 323 4313), a subsidiary of JUNK Cayman, will recycle and refill any printer cartridges, from small personal printers to large

professional copiers. E-Waste Cayman Islands Ltd. Electronic Recycling (Tel: (345) 916 6764 or (345) 325 5033) collects most old electronic equipment and recycles it in an environmentally-friendly way.Customers can schedule an appointment to collect electronic waste on their website, www.ewaste.ky. They also offer a free pick-up service for most old electronic equipment.

Kirk Office (SEE AD PAGE 78) (Tel: (345) 623 5475) sells an array of FSC certified paper and recycled products in addition to a range of Energy Star certified electronics. They also accept your used batteries, ink and toner cartridges for recycling. Kirk Office also accepts old computers, printers and photocopiers for recycling.

Encourage your employers to install JUNK (Tel: (345) 325 5865) 'Recycling Made Easy' recycling bins at your office. JUNK will assist you to install a programme that is tailor-made for every workplace, large or small. If your office has regular suppliers, check for sustainability.

AT HOME

Whether you own or are renting a home, making environmentally-friendly choices will help preserve our beautiful Island.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle & Refuse The George Town landfill on Grand Cayman, known to some residents as 'Mount Trashmore', has started to undergo restoration and remediation as of this year. It is estimated that 2,000 tons of solid waste is added to the landfill each week. With each resident in Cayman adding around 2,775lbs of waste to the landfill each year, it is essential that we all strive to reduce, recycle, refuse, and reuse our waste. All the major supermarkets on the Island now sell reusable woven shopping bags and charge 5¢ per plastic bag. They still offer plastic produce bags in the fruit and vegetable aisles and these are ending up in the landfill by the thousands. Refuse Styrofoam – it cannot be recycled and is one of the biggest culprits of ocean pollution. Say no to single-use plastics, such as shopping bags, plastic produce bags, plastic straws, utensils, and disposable coffee cups. Buy mesh produce bags for fruit and vegetable purchases, reusable coffee cups and glass or stainless steel straws. Reusable straws

are available at Bon Vivant, Jessie’s Juice Bar, Foster’s and Kirk Home Centre. Reducing the amount of waste we personally generate ultimately reduces the amount of waste we send to the landfill.

Recycling Recycling benefits the environment in a number of different ways. It reduces the amount of waste that is sent to landfills and conserves natural resources (such as water, timber and minerals).

There are currently eight recycling depots across Grand Cayman; five of which are located at the Island’s major supermarkets. In 2021, Grand Harbour decided to close its recycling depot; however the DEH have now opened a depot at the BarCam Service Station in Red Bay, to serve the residents of the Prospect area. After recyclables are placed in the multi-coloured bins at any of the eight depots across the island it is then taken to the DEH recycling centre at the George Town landfill. Once the recycling has been separated and baled it then goes on a transatlantic trek to its final destination in Florida, where it is distributed to various waste processing facilities. Remember to wash items before depositing as contents can contaminate the entire recycling bin. Labels and caps must also be removed from bottles as often these cannot be recycled. It is essential that no additional waste items are disposed of in recycling bins as they contaminate the recyclables and could cause them to be landfilled.

Residents can recycle the following items at each of these locations: a) paper and cardboard, b) clean metal food cans (steel and aluminium), c) glass bottles and glass containers and; d) PET/ PETE and HDPE plastics (Numbers 1 and 2). Be sure to check the bottom of containers for codes such as PET, PETE and HDPE or the 1 and 2 symbols.

Read the signs at each depot and follow the instructions carefully. Remember to separate your waste at the source. Make sure everything has been rinsed out and is clean, and don’t put plastic wrappers, plastic bags and cling wrap in with the

Numbers 1 and 2 plastics. Recyclables in Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are safely stored at their respective landfills until arrangements are made for shipping to Grand Cayman for further processing. As mentioned previously you can also get JUNK to help make your recycling easier. From as little as CI$50 per month, Junk collects recyclables – numbers 1 and 2 plastics, cardboard, glass, aluminium and tin cans – every week, from your home or office. Junk also does single event recycling and offer stackable bins, mainly for residential and small business use and larger bins that are used externally for larger recycling needs. Contact JUNK on (345) 925 4374, email: info@junk.ky, Operations (345) 325 5865 or manager@junk.ky.

If you have old electronic equipment, such as computers, keyboards, and cables,

E-Waste Cayman Islands Ltd. (Tel: (345) 916 6764) will collect them and recycle it. Fees to collect electronic waste range from USD$45 to USD$175, depending on the nature of collection.

Department of Environmental Health (DEH) Tel: (345) 949 6696 www.deh.gov.ky The DEH oversees all of the Islands recycling. Other services that DEH provide include management of food hygiene and safety, district sanitation and rodent control, engineering and developmental control, solid and hazardous wastes including waste collection, recycling and disposal and public education and promotion

programmes. SEE AD PAGE 223

Cleaning Products Environmentally friendly cleaning products are becoming more common in Cayman’s stores. These green products clean just as well as their harsh chemicalladen counterparts, but are made entirely out of natural ingredients which are nontoxic, free of phosphates, fillers, fragrance, chlorine, dyes and NPE. They are not tested on animals, nor do they contain animal additives. Another added benefit of these green products is that they are far better for the septic tank systems that most homes in Cayman have. Foster’s and Kirk Market lead the market in supplying safe cleaning products.

Top Tips for Being Green Small choices can make a difference, so here are some ways you can reduce your impact on the environment:

> Purchase reusable bags to take with you to the grocery store > Purchase food and cleaning items in bulk > Buy glass food containers and reuse them > Invest in high-quality, long-lasting products > Take your own reusable containers when you get takeaway food > Use your own reusable cups for your daily coffee or smoothie > Avoid disposable cutlery > Choose eco-friendly cleaning products > Avoid toiletries that contain microbeads > Swap to non-plastic alternatives e.g. a bamboo toothbrush or a moon cup > Avoid products with palm oil > Drink Flowers Bottled Water or tap water, which is perfectly safe, and use refillable bottles. Consider installing a ‘City Water

Filter’ from www.ionfaucet.com to remove the chlorine from tap water > Be mindful of water usage and install a ‘low flow’ shower head to save water > Use a drying rack or clothesline to dry clothes, rather than a dryer > Only use the dishwasher and washing machine when you have a full load > Set the A/C thermostat at the highest temperature you feel comfortable with > Conserve energy by turning off lights, fans and electronic equipment when not in use > Use rechargeable batteries > Recycle newspapers and towels by taking them to the Humane Society and donate magazines to the hospital > Recycle old printers and laptops by donating them to schools or charities > Return clothes hangers to dry cleaners > Take second-hand clothes to the Humane

Society, One Dog At A Time or the Red Cross > Share rides, use public transportation, walk or cycle when possible > Compost where possible ALUMINIUM CANS GLASS CONTAINERS PLASTIC (NO. 1 AND 2) MIXED PAPER & CARDBOARD

❑ Camana Bay Recycling Centre ❑ All Foster’s locations ❑ Kirk Market ❑ Some public and private schools ❑ Government Administration Building ❑ North Side Civic Centre, North Side ❑ George Dixon Public Park, East End ❑ BarCam Service Station, Prospect ❑ All five district parks

BATTERIES

❑ Lead acid car batteries: Drop off at the

DEH Landfill, garages or retailers ❑ Small household batteries: place in the blue tubes at Foster’s, Cost-U-Less, some public businesses and condos ❑ Rechargeable batteries (computer, camera and cell phone batteries): drop off at Funky Tangs or BrandSource for shipment to the US for recycling

ELECTRONIC WASTE

❑ Deliver to the DEH landfill public dropoff, call Recycling Services (Tel: (345) 547 6654), JUNK Removal and

Recycling (Tel: (345) 325 5865) or

E-Waste Cayman Islands Ltd. (Tel: (345) 916 6764) for stripping and recycling in the US

BOOKS & OLD CLOTHING

❑ Drop off at the Humane Society, One

Dog at a Time, the Red Cross, the New

To You Bargain Shop or BLESSED

VEGETABLE & YARD WASTE

❑ Drop off at DEH landfill (they will mulch it) or start your own compost

VEHICLE TYRES & OIL

❑ Drop off at DEH landfill Residents can also deposit recyclable items at the 24-hour drop-off site located at the front of the George Town landfill. There is no fee for this service and assistance is provided during regular business hours.

Being a Green Family In order for your kids to value the importance of recycling, you must lead by example. The more fired-up you are about recycling, the more interested they will likely be about participating. Kids should feel recycling is an exciting way to help protect the Earth!

If you plan on making recycling a regular chore for your kids, incentivise it by rewarding them with fun activities such as trips to the beach or park. Take some time when you visit the beach to pick up some trash and help keep Cayman looking beautiful.

Household Appliances The most environmentally friendly fuel source available in the Cayman Islands is propane. Home Gas (all three Islands) and Clean Gas (Grand Cayman only) are the two providers available. Both offer installation, service and delivery, whether residential or commercial. They work with their customers throughout the whole process of designing, installing and maintaining a propane system. Both companies can also offer propane and product guidance for any and all indoor and outside appliances.

Dry Cleaning When you need dry cleaning done on Grand Cayman, Island Cleaners (Tel: (345) 949 5391) and Puritan Cleaners (Tel: (345) 949 7104) are both eco-friendly companies that use environmentally safe dry cleaning products, recycle hangers and offers a same day service, if needed. Fluff ‘N’ Fold (Tel: (345) 943 5833) in Camana Bay also uses energy-efficient equipment, non-toxic chemicals and recycling programmes to reduce their impact on the environment.

WHEN BUILDING

Innovative geothermal and solar technologies are now available in Cayman and are being integrated into residential and commercial properties. In addition, Cayman is one of the countries outside of the USA where LEED – a green building certification programme for homes –is available, thanks to local company GreenTech Group.

If you are thinking about designing and building a green home, consider the following steps:

1) Find a design-builder who has proven experience with green homes in Cayman; 2) Use key building products like Insulated

Concrete Forms (ICF) such as Fox Blocks which are manufactured here locally,

Spray Foam Insulation, low VOCs materials and finishes, Impact/Insulated windows,

Watersense rated plumbing and Energy

Star rated appliances; 3) Own your own energy. With the growing demand for alternative energy sources, utilise solar energy in your home from companies like GreenTech Solar.

Alternatively, try a geothermal cooling system. Companies like GeoCayman can help you cool your home much more efficiently than traditional air conditioning systems – saving you substantial energy and money. See page 229 for more information. Please also refer to the Building a Home chapter for more information.

Design (Cayman) Limited 125 Owen Roberts Drive, Breezy Castle Tel: (345) 949 2800 Email: info@design-cayman.ky www.design-cayman.ky At Design (Cayman) Limited, their team knows: 'The Art of Building', a focus that enables clients to feel deeply understood, leading to projects that deliver beyond expectations and to truly bring satisfaction and joy. Serving Cayman for 14 years as leaders in innovative and green design and building, Design Cayman services include: Architecture, Interior Design, Project Management, Development and Master Planning, Virtual Design, Renovations and Additions and Architect Led, Design, Manage

and Build). SEE AD PAGE 252

Flowers Group 184 Seymour Road, Industrial Park Tel: (345) 623 0000 Email: customerservice@flowersgroup.com The Flowers Foam Products division of the Flowers Group supplies state-of-the-art, locally manufactured building products including Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF), foam flat sheets, steel stud and tracks, architectural components and custom shapes and signs.

SEE AD PAGE 255

POWERING YOUR HOME

Fossil fuel costs to power our homes will only continue to rise as supplies dwindle worldwide. Electricity is already costly in the Cayman Islands, and as small Caribbean countries don’t have the bargaining power of larger countries, they will be the hardest hit as oil reserves become more limited.

Cayman’s goal of obtaining 25% of its power from renewable resources by 2025 has raised discussion for alternative ways of doing this. Wind turbines measuring 300ft have been considered but face problems with height restrictions of 250ft anywhere within a 10 mile radius of the airport. There are also concerns that their height would interfere with Cayman’s Doppler radar station.

While solar power remains a trusted option for renewable energy, with rising fuel prices and increasing air conditioning costs, interest in geothermal energy cooling systems is also on the rise.

Other renewable energy sources proposed include the use of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Technology (OTEC). However, concerns surrounding the ocean thermal energy plant (such as it was not yet commercially proven or financially feasible) led to a halt in the project progressing.

Solar Power Significant improvements are being made in the solar energy industry every year and Cayman is the perfect location to harness the power of the sun. Solar energy can be harvested in two ways: solar photovoltaic (PV), which converts sunlight into electricity and solar thermal, which heats water. The initial costs of purchasing these

Looking to save up to 60% in your cooling costs and reduce your hot water bill? Make the switch to geothermal.

Geothermal systems only use the islands’ naturally cooled ground water and a small amount of electricity to generate A/C for your home, drastically reducing your non-renewable energy consumption. Naturally Cool

Chris Creighton (345) 526 1832 Ccreighton@geocayman.ky www.geocayman.ky systems are significant and currently the Government does not offer subsidies as an incentive. But an encouraging point to note however, is that renewable energy equipment such as solar panels are in fact duty-free for residential homeowners. Affordable Solar (Tel: (345) 546 6686) provides a wide range of services and sells energy storage systems, off-grid solar systems and solutions.

Solar Power Storage Although Cayman enjoys over 300 days of sunshine, you will need to consider an alternative source of power should there be no sun. One such option is the Tesla Powerwall battery. These rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are wall mounted and can be stored either outside your home or inside your garage.

Tesla Powerwall batteries can help provide financial savings by charging and storing energy. They also assure power in the event of a power outage, instead of having to use a generator.

Solar Grid-Tie Systems CUC has multiple renewable energy programmes. The Consumer-Owned Renewable Energy (CORE) Programme was created to purchase electricity produced via renewable energy from approved customer applicants.

The Distributed Energy Resource (DER) Programme is also a programme where CUC purchases energy produced by consumer-owned renewable energy systems, the major differences being that: > CUC only purchases whatever energy is not utilised by the consumer (excess energy); and > this programme is not 'subsidised' by CORE consumers; the CORE Programme allows CORE-customers to receive 'credit' when they sell excess electricity to CUC, which is then re-exported back into the grid for them to benefit. This credit may vary based on CUC's avoided costs, such as for fuel, oil and lubricants. If such avoided costs fall, so will CORE credit amounts per kilowatt hour exported to the grid. If prices rise, CORE consumers should expect higher credits per kilowatt hour exported to the grid. All consumer owned renewable energy programmes are dependent upon available capacity.

The electricity regulator, The Utility Regulation and Competition Office (OfReg), is responsible for approving any additional capacity for all renewable programmes in the Cayman Islands. Currently, the electricity grid capacity that was allocated to the CORE Programme has been oversubscribed. OfReg states that it is currently consulting on allocating more capacity to enable the grid to accommodate more customerowned distributed generation systems. This additional capacity will be made available pending the implementation of CUC's previously approved 20 megawatt (MW) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). For more information, visit www.cuc-cayman.com/customer-service/ renewable-energy.

Home Energy Storage Systems Intelligent technology can be used to power your home if you need to be off the grid. These compact systems can be easily adaptable to your individual needs.

Affordable Solar Tel: (345) 546 6686 Email: info@affordablesolar.ky www.affordablesolar.ky

Solar Farms The 5MW Solar Farm is the first commercial solar project in the Cayman Islands. It was completed and commissioned in June 2017 and is located on a 20-acre site in Bodden Town, Grand Cayman.

The farm comprises 21,690 polycrystalline photovoltaic (solar) modules, each with a DC-rated capacity of 305 watts. The facility is connected to CUC’s Bodden Town Substation and provides energy to power approximately 800 homes with clean, renewable solar energy. Additional solar farms and possibly wind

farms in the Cayman Islands would lessen our dependency on fossil fuels and decrease the $153 million we spend on importing diesel fuel each year.

CUC’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), approved in early 2019, calls for new technologies to be introduced, including significant amounts of solar and wind power and the procurement of natural gases. Other technologies considered include the conversion of existing generating units to operate as dual fuel engines, the deployment of appropriate amounts of energy storage, and the integration of a municipal solid waste-toenergy plant. The IRP dovetails with the National Energy Policy (NEP) and will give shape to the energy generation plans for Grand Cayman over the next 30 years. However, both the IRP and NEP call for a significant increase in renewable energy projects over the next 10 years.

If you are interested in swapping to renewable energy sources or installing solar panels in your home, the following company can help:

GreenTech Solar Tel: (345) 949 8324 Email: info@greentechsolar.ky www.greentechsolar.ky GreenTech provides solar panels and storage solutions, installed by their professional team. Visit their website to get a quote for solar product installation and learn more about the services that they offer.

Geothermal Cooling Systems Unlike common central air conditioning systems that distribute cool air into your home through heated gas and refrigerants, geothermal cooling systems are known to have lower operational costs and last up to 10 years longer than conventional A/C.

Geothermal cooling systems work by removing heat from your home and/ or workplace building, which is then transferred to your water pipe systems buried beneath your house or in the yard. The result of this is a cooling, ‘air conditioning’ type effect as a process of removing heat from the circulated air, transferring that heat back to your water systems in the ground, and then returning the newly cooled air back into your home.

In 2013, the NCB Group launched GeoCayman as an exclusive dealer of GeoComfort Geothermal systems. If you are looking to save on cooling costs by swapping to an energy-efficient system with a longer lifespan, GeoCayman can help.

GeoCayman One Capital Place, Shedden Road Tel: (345) 526 1832 Email: ccreighton@geocayman.ky www.geocayman.ky GeoCayman provides energy-efficient, lowcost Geothermal cooling solutions for both commercial and residential properties in the Cayman Islands. Visit their website to learn how you can see a reduction of up to 50% in your cooling and maintenance costs by swapping to

a geothermal system. SEE AD OPPOSITE PAGE

SWIMMING POOLS

As a pool owner, there are several steps you can take to help keep your energy bills down:

> Cover it up A pool cover will reduce heat loss, water evaporation and chemical consumption by up to 70%. It also helps keep your pool clean. > Think about the pump A pool filter pump is the second largest consumer of energy in a home behind your A/C. If you install a two-speed, variable speed or solar powered pump, it will pay for itself very quickly with energy savings. > Environmentally friendly products

Consider using a chlorine generator, which turns ordinary salt into chlorine and is kinder to the environment and your skin.

Use LED lights for lighting, as they use far less energy than incandescent bulbs. To find out more about swimming pools and how to maintain them, contact Oasis Pool & Spa (Tel: (345) 945 7665 or visit www.oasis.ky) or Pool Patrol (Tel: (345) 949 8543 or visit www.poolpatrol.ky). For more information related to cleanup days and other green events, make sure you download the What's On Cayman app from the Apple or Google Play stores.

Plastic Free Cayman

The Plastic Free Cayman movement continues to grow. This not-for-profit NGO has caught the community’s attention and people are now more than ready to refuse single-use plastic bags, plastic straws, and take reusable water bottles, cups and containers with them to refill and use. Visit www.plasticfreecayman. com or email plasticfreecayman@gmail. com to learn more about the movement and ways to get involved.

Earth Day Cleanup An annual event in Cayman, the Earth Day Cleanup, draws hundreds of volunteers to collect litter and debris from Cayman’s roadsides and beaches. Visit www. caymanchamber.ky to find out when the 2022 event will take place.

The National Trust

The National Trust for the Cayman Islands has been protecting the future of Cayman’s heritage and environment since 1987. The Trust is a not-for-profit NGO created to preserve the history and biodiversity of the Cayman Islands. The Trust runs environmental, historic and educational programmes including the Mission House, Blue Iguana Conservation, guided nature walks of the Mastic Trail and volunteer projects. Being a member allows you access to voting privileges at general meetings. Other perks include priority booking on local tours, discounts on local Trust events, and much more. For more information contact membership@nationaltrust.org. ky or visit www.nationaltrust.org.ky/getinvolved/become-a-member/. THE

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