Holiday Tips: Reducing Waste

Traditionally, holidays are a time for exchanging gifts.  This year, let’s give more meaningful gifts and be more civil-minded, while wasting less and lightening the load for Santa’s clean-up crew.

The Department of Environmental Health (DEH) is offering tips on how to reduce waste levels this festive season. Suggestions include:

•          Give homemade items, such as cookies, handcrafts, or framed photos.

•          Give entertainment, such as museum or gallery memberships, movie, theatre, concert, or sporting event tickets, or restaurant and store gift certificates.

•          Give learning, such as language or music lessons, classes in cooking, photography, or other hobbies.

•          Give time or talent, such as for baby-sitting, pet-sitting, computer assistance or home repairs.

•          Give fitness, such as gym memberships, personal training sessions, or classes in yoga, pilates, or dance.

•          Give pampering, such as a massage, facial, manicure, or pedicure.

•          Give to the greater good by contributing to someone’s favourite charity.

Other ways to reduce waste this holiday season may entail:

o          Using an artificial tree instead of a real one and reusing it for years.  If you do buy a real one, avoid tinsel so the tree can be recycled in January.

o          Sending email greetings rather than paper cards to reduce paper waste.

o          Choosing reusable gift bags or creating gift wrap by using maps or comics.  If you do buy gift wrap and greeting cards, ensure they’re made from recycled paper.

o          Using durable plastic-ware or better-still, eco-friendly reusable ware designed for reuse. Use washable / reusable sponges, dishcloths, and napkins.  If you do purchase new, choose disposable products made with recycled material.

Remember too that others may want items that you no longer need. Contact local charitable organisations that are interested in receiving your gently-used clothing, furniture, books, and electronics. Reach out to the Red Cross, the Human Society, and the NCVO.

Or you can choose to donate unwanted Christmas gifts rather than return them. Check out your favorite charity or the Department of Children & Family Services.

Instead of exchanging gifts, business and office staff can also elect to donate toys and other items. Many families must cut back due to hard financial times, so your group can donate unwrapped toys for organisation’s annual gift drive.

Residents are reminded to be mindful of our surrounding and to refrain from littering and dumping waste in the environment as these activities are against the law (The Litter Law 1982). All waste should be properly disposed of at the DEH Landfills or through pick-ups services by residential garbage trucks.

For more information, contact the DEH at 949-6696 and meanwhile, the Department of Environmental Health wishes everyone a happy festive season.

DEH Bulk Waste Clean-up Campaign Begins

The Department of Environmental Health (DEH) will be commencing its annual bulk waste clean-up campaign beginning Monday 18 November in the Eastern Districts and ending Saturday 14 December in West Bay.

The DEH bulk waste pick-up schedule for Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are as follows:-

•          East End / North Side Districts – 18 November to 23 November.

•          Bodden Town District – 25 November to 30 November.

•          George Town District – 2 December to 7 December.

•          West Bay District – 9 December to 14 December.

•          Little Cayman – 18 November to 20 November.

•          Cayman Brac – 25 November to 29 November.

Bulk waste should be placed on the curbside where they can be accessed by DEH trucks, but not block or obstruct traffic. Bulk waste includes items such as household appliances, furniture, and yard waste. These are items not handled by normal DEH residential garbage bi-weekly collection.

All metals and vegetative waste should be separated from the rest of the bulk waste items. Metal items include old appliances, metal furniture, metal roofing; vegetative waste includes all plant trimming and tree branches.

Construction and demolition debris will not be collected as they are not considered bulk waste and therefore is not part of the bulk waste clean-up campaign.

Residents are reminded that items should not be put out after the above dates as DEH crews will not be returning to an area once it has been cleaned.

For further information, in Grand Cayman contact the DEH solid waste dispatch unit at 949-8793; in Cayman Brac and Little Cayman contact DEH Cayman Brac office at 948-2321.