WESTERN BUREAU - By May, a full-scale recycling operation should be up and running in St James, where almost seven per cent of the island's waste is generated annually.

When the project is up and running, it will employ approximately 75 persons, with about 20 of them working full time.

The announcement was made by managing director of Caribbean Paper Recycling Company Limited, Phillip Corrigan, at a seminar entitled "Greening Through Recycling", which was held at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort in the tourist resort town on Wednesday. The seminar was held in conjunction with the Garbage Disposal and Sanitation Systems (GDSS).

If a suitable site is identified by the end of this month and then approved by the authorities, the recycling operation could be up and running as early as April.

"From a practical standpoint, construction time probably takes two-and-a-half to three months," said Corrigan, who based his estimates on the installation of similar systems in Kingston.

He added that Jampro has given his company free zone status which will defray some of the cost of importing the necessary machinery into the island. In addition, Corrigan added, a recent meeting between representatives from his company, GDSS, and Montego Bay's commercial sector had been fruitful.

The Retirement Landfill is being looked at, as a potential site, but said according to Corrigan, that particular location will take a great deal of preparation.

According to regional operations manager for the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Percival Stewart, the entire island produces approximately 945,496 tonnes of waste per year, with 166,951 tonnes (17.66 per cent) of that amount dumped at the Retirement Landfill. The parish of St James generates 64,970 tonnes (6.8 per cent) of the total waste produced across the island, he said, with the remaining parishes accounting for 778,545 tonnes (82.34 per cent).

"Most of the waste produced is household waste, of which the majority can be recycled," he said, adding that 50 per cent of all waste produced in Jamaica is generated from food, which can be recycled into compost with the remaining percentage broken down into paper, glass, metal/tin, cardboard, glass, textiles and wood/board.

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