If you use the centre, you will be familiar with all of the containers separating different categories of recyclable materials – from aerosol cans to washing machines. But if you look a bit closer, there is more going on to make our operation one to be proud of.
Look around you and you will see lots of materials being used in different and surprising ways. We worked with local artist Ian Rolls to showcase how rubbish can be a resource by using wood from demolition sites, old tyres, unwanted toys and plastic bottle tops in the design and construction of the site. And we went one step further by salvaging the steel frame from the demolition of the Jersey Pottery building in Gorey to reuse as the skeleton of the main site building. Look at its shape – it may be familiar.
We have also included photovoltaic cells on the roof of our main building to capture the power of the La Collette sunshine. The other power for the site comes from the nearby Energy Recovery Facility, which turns our rubbish into electricity.
School groups often visit us at the site, learning about what we do and the steps we have taken to improve the sustainability of our operation. This also includes the installation of rainwater-harvesting instruments and an air-source heat pump to meet our onsite needs.
Words cannot describe how important it is that our next generation understands the challenges we face processing Jersey’s never-ending supply of rubbish. Groups visiting our site also bring items for reuse and recycling so we can explain where each material will go and the importance of making the right decisions as consumers, so we have less rubbish to throw away and recycle in the future.
If you are an early visitor to our site, you may also see the hustle and bustle of our lower yard where we prepare materials for export and load them into trailers for onward specialist recycling. Everything we receive for recycling is recycled and much of what we collect is exported to the UK and Europe. Loading trailers is often done before the site opens and last year 165 tonnes of TVs and 16 tonnes of light bulbs were handled by our team, as well as other materials such as wide range of electrical goods.
All of the steps taken behind the scenes combine to help our customers think differently about their waste. The Household Reuse and Recycling Centre plays a huge part in Jersey’s recycling and we hope it can do even more by educating and inspiring all of us to reduce, reuse and recycle that little bit more.
