Glass recycling project

Ways in which recycled glass is being used

Students from Bequia Community High School have attacked the growing problem of broken glass on the playing field, school compound, drains and beaches, by not only doing cleanups, but by undertaking a glass recycling programme for which they won the 1997 UNESCO Caribbean Sea Science and Technology Award and the 1999 Commonwealth Youth Service Award. They have expanded this project to incorporate their families and their community. The school is now a drop-off point for unwanted bottles. The students break these into small pieces and mix with cement and reinforced steel to produce park benches for their school yard and community areas. Some of the benches use logs salvaged from cleared building lots as seats and backs. The glass is also used to make patio tiles. The environment is now a safer place as a result of their efforts.

At the end of 2004 the Sandwatch group of the Bequia Community High School completed the prototype, of a new broken glass project. This represents taking the park benches idea one step further. They are constructing garbage collection bins that are made from crushed glass and cement. The Bequia Tourism Association asked them to develop the idea of using garbage to collect garbage. These bins will be located on some of the popular beaches, where the hoteliers and restaurant operators will undertake the responsibility of placing litter bags in them and having the trash taken to the landfill. This is another first for broken glass.

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