I know I am not alone noticing the trash around St John getting worse and worse. Much of it is plastic bottles, takeout containers, drink straws, plastic cups, cigarette butts, plastic bags along with empty cans and bottles.
Since our Government is not stepping up by installing more trash receptacles around the island, they are in fact removing trash receptacles! How can we effectively cut the amount of trash down ?
Our local restaurants can help by using compostable food containers for their take out items and use plastic bags that compost. Use reusable cups that can be reused over and over, maybe even offer a discount for used cups.
We can all do our part by using less products that end up on our streets, our Oceans and our Landfill.
How about not using plastic straws in drinks ?
Do you know that in the US alone we use enough plastic straws to fill 125 school buses daily! That is enough straws to wrap around the Earth 2.5 times every day! Enough already I say! Lets either start using good old paper straws that bio-degrade or not use straws at all. Use your finger to mix your drink or ask your bartender to shake it up for you.
I have asked before and I will ask again businesses that sell to the public should have a trash receptacle located outside of their business! If your business sells items that will be consumed and thrown away you should be required to install a trash receptacle. Where do you expect people to throw their trash???
We have been granted a reprieve on the tipping fees for waste disposal. The tipping fees will not be in effect until January 1, 2017. If we produce less waste we will benefit monetarily in the long run.
Did you know St John is considered the Emerald Island of the Virgin Islands? Lets start living up to that name and keep St John clean and green !!!
For a greener tomorrow,
Dan Boyd
Lovango Cay, St. John
Dan Boyd of Island Solar is a Virgin Islands Energy Office authorized vendor. For more information, call Boyd on his cell phone at 340-626-9685 or by email at islandsolarvi@gmail.com.