In the Community

A blessing and ribbon cutting ceremony with the studio’s primary sponsors, His Excellency Governor Boyd McCleary representing the UK Government Overseas Territories Environment Programme (OTEP) and Deborah Benjamin, country manager for Sol BVI, will mark the official launch of the glass-recycling venture. A host of educational and entertaining activities will follow throughout the day. The public is invited to attend.

“We really want to have all members of the community come and celebrate this remarkable occasion,“ said Libbie Oliver, event coordinator. “The Green VI Glass Studio is just the beginning of the BVI’s journey to developing a more environmentally sustainable future. We want people to come and learn what simple yet effective steps can be taken to manage and recycle the incredible waste we generate.”

Green VI planned the official launch of the studio as a celebration of Earth Day - a global event aiming to register a billion acts of green around the world. A Billion Acts of Green® inspires and rewards both simple individual acts and larger organizational initiatives that further the goal of measurably reducing carbon emissions and supporting sustainability. The goal is to register one billion actions in advance of the Earth Summit in Rio in 2012. A Billion Acts of Green® is steadily building commitments at over 96.5 million actions to date from individuals, corporations and governments to live and act sustainably in honor of Earth Day.  

Topical activities for Earth Day in the BVI include glass blowing demonstrations and recycled art contest. Additional, family fun attractions planned for the day are an Easter egg hunt at 2pm, Sol’s lucky dip, BBQ, TICO wine tasting, a sand sculpture competition, games and live entertainment featuring Michael Bean.

“The Glass Studio, Green VI’s first major project, has been many years in the making and we want the launch to be a community-wide celebration,” said Green VI executive director, Charlotte McDevitt. “As a not-for-profit, we are grateful to the many contributors who have given sponsorship in cash and in kind to get this project off the ground and we particularly want to acknowledge our major sponsors, Sol and OTEP. The furnaces have to be fired 24 hours a day and without the donation of LPG, this project would not be financially viable. OTEP’s funding enables us to take care of the associated daily costs of administrating the studio but ultimately, our aim is to make this self-sustaining with additional proceeds raised to go toward other environmental initiatives in the BVI.”

The glass blowing studio was developed to facilitate the removal of glass from the waste stream and from the incineration process. When glass melts in the incinerator it adheres to the incinerator walls and damages the structure. This issue necessitates closure of the incinerator for ten days, twice a year, to allow the melted glass to be removed from the walls.

The dump at Pockwood Pond receives 150 tonnes of waste per day but only has the capacity to burn 40 tonnes per day. The Green VI Glass Studio is not a waste management project and is not designed to handle all the waste glass in the BVI but it will serve to fund other projects that are. With appropriate fiscal tools, waste management industry can be a profitable business and is available as a natural resource here in the BVI. Waste management projects include tumbling and crushing glass for use as an aggregate in construction and the separation of aluminum and cardboard, which can be shipped as mixed loads to the United States.

The Green VI vision is for a green, clean, healthy and prosperous BVI, in which a balance is maintained between development and conservation of the natural environment. The mission of the not-for-profit organization is to demonstrate the principles and benefits of sustainable living and to enhance capacity for adaptation to climate change through education and practical projects. For more information visit www.greenvi.org.

(L-R) Charlotte McDevitt, executive director Green VI, Karim Rhymer, board member, Green VI, Deborah Benjamin, country manager, Sol Petroleum, Jake Barron, master glassblower Green VI Glass Studio