Recycling in the DR?

laurel · #1 07-30-2006, 05:12 PM

Hi there,

Does anyone have information about recycling here in the DR?

I know they recycle glass bottles, but are there recycling plants on this island for things like newspaper, tin, aluminum, and plastic?

Thanks in advance for any info!

Good winds and Aloha,

Laurel

mountainfrog · #2 07-30-2006, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurel

I know they recycle glass bottles, but are there recycling plants on this island for things like newspaper, tin, aluminum, and plastic?

Even bottles are not recycled at a larger scale, if children do not collect them and sell them to traders, they just lie about.

The good news, however, is, that we have incinerating "plants". Thousands in fact, dozens in every village...

m'frog

canadian bob · #3 07-31-2006, 09:50 AM

Car & inverter batteries are locally picked up,cleaned & electrolyte added & used again (by Dominicans), then they are dumped 'wherever', often in the nearest creek.... Corrugated asbestos roofing 4X8 sheets are common,don't know how hazardous they are, but I think they are imported from Canada, where they are not acceptable..... Canadian Bob.

Budson · #4 07-31-2006, 11:55 AM

I am the General Manager for a printing plant here. We are 100% committed to responsible recycling and this has proved to be our biggest challenge. Basically, I sort scrap paper by grade about 50K lbs a week and ship it by container all over the work based on the best price for scrap. Other materials like ink, blankets, and plates are tough to recycle. Not that we can't find interest. Getting a manifest stating how the materials were used/disposed is. All those dish TV antennas sold on the intersections are not my printing plates.

Keith R · #5 07-31-2006, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Budson

I am the General Manager for a printing plant here. We are 100% committed to responsible recycling and this has proved to be our biggest challenge. Basically, I sort scrap paper by grade about 50K lbs a week and ship it by container all over the work based on the best price for scrap. Other materials like ink, blankets, and plates are tough to recycle. Not that we can't find interest. Getting a manifest stating how the materials were used/disposed is. All those dish TV antennas sold on the intersections are not my printing plates.

Budson, would you be willing to write a brief "guest blog" on the challenges your business faces trying to recycle in the DR for the Green Team blog? Nothing long or fancy necessary, and if you want to submit something simple and rough I can do the "clean up" proofing/editing (subject to your approval before being posted). One of the blog entries that has drawn the most interest was one recently done by Timberland on what they're trying to do in their DR ops, you may wish to take a glance at that entry to get an idea of one way to do a submission.

I hope you'll consider it. If you have any questions/concerns, you can PM me or email at greenteam@dr1.com

Thanks,
Keith R

jojo2130 · #6 07-31-2006, 05:05 PM

We own a company that properly regenerates Inverter and car batteries. As a matter of fact all Lead Acid , Gel cell and AGM Batteries making their life 2-3 times longer. We intend to greatly reduce battery dumping by entering into a program to completely recycle batteries. Currently 97% of all Lead Acid Battery Components are recyclable. Its one of the most recycled items in the world ! This beautiful country has to be cleaned up......

Quote:

Originally Posted by canadian bob

Car & inverter batteries are locally picked up,cleaned & electrolyte added & used again (by Dominicans), then they are dumped 'wherever', often in the nearest creek.... Corrugated asbestos roofing 4X8 sheets are common,don't know how hazardous they are, but I think they are imported from Canada, where they are not acceptable..... Canadian Bob.

alana · #7 09-19-2006, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mountainfrog

Even bottles are not recycled at a larger scale, if children do not collect them and sell them to traders, they just lie about.

The good news, however, is, that we have incinerating "plants". Thousands in fact, dozens in every village...

m'frog

Hola
can you share more about incinerating "plants" What do they burn?
Alana

mountainfrog · #8 09-19-2006, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alana

Hola
can you share more about incinerating "plants" What do they burn?
Alana

Everything

m'frog

BTW, welcome to the board.

Chris · #9 09-19-2006, 02:08 PM

mountainfrog, you're incorrigable (sp).

There is a fair amount of 'burning on the backroads' of everything. Every little village has a place where they burn their garbage. These are not plants, these are just spots to burn stuff.

GringoCArlos · #10 09-19-2006, 02:12 PM

There is ONE incinerating plant in the DR that does things properly. Just one. Somewhere on the outskirts of Santo domingo on Carretera Duarte, but they pick up too. (but no, I can't recall their name right now or find their card) .

Hazardous waste disposal by burning, with all emission controls, etc in place, and a certificate issued upon completion. And what a bitc^ it was to fight against the bureacracry and Aduanas just to get to use it.

We operate in a Free Zone. I had 12 drums of accumulated "bad stuff" that the only acceptable method of disposal is burning. Of course, most other people would just add this stuff to the dumpster, and off it would go to the landfill with the rest of the trash. I didn't want the vision of barefoot children walking through and scavenging this stuff, and then having bad things happen to them later, so I wanted to use the incinerator and do things properly.

Oh my God. you wouldn't believe the crap to go through. First, the head of Customs told me that I had to pay 6 inspectors from Aduanas to come to our Free Zone and then ride to the incinerator with the stuff to be burned. All paperwork for the material should be available for inspection. Facturas as well.

I would have to pay their cab fare (both ways), as well as their dieta of RD$500 per person per day, with 2 days for the work. Just to burn friggin garbage! This was in May 2004. I told him to go soak his head, and I would wait for the PLD guys to show up in August, after they sacked his rear end. That at least made some folks in his office smile.

In September, I went to the new guy. I would have to pay one guy to ride along for the burn. $200. No other requirements. MSDS's for the incinerator guy, nothing more. Plus more than $90,000 for the 12 drums to do the burn the "right" way. How easy can it get? And I can sleep at night knowing it had been done as it should have been done.