ENVIRONMENT minister David De Lisle is reiterating his calls to establish a permanent waste-management facility and civic amenity sites without delay. And following the huge success of the Public Services Department’s waste electrical and electronic equipment and scrap metal initiative at Longue Hougue at the weekend, he believed there was potential for a permanent facility for recycling such items.

A total of 1,899 vehicles visited the site on Saturday and Sunday and it is estimated that about 120 tonnes of waste was deposited by the public, including 20 skips full of IT equipment.

‘The public reaction has been extremely good,’ said Deputy De Lisle.

But he still preferred having skips for such items placed around the island.

‘It enabled people to use locations very close to their property and they were more inclined to take metal materials for recycling,’ he said.

‘It was very popular in the Forest and it reduced the amount of waste in that parish phenomenally. People in the western district found it a long way to go to Longue Hougue. Environment placed skips in different parishes every few weeks, which was extremely successful, and Public Services has taken it over and had some success.’

He believed Longue Hougue could be opened up to the public more frequently and he supports trying a scavenging scheme.

‘There is demand for a permanent facility and there is a demand for reuse – some of the materials looked as if they had further life. I think they could set aside an area for reuse,’ he said.

‘It would encourage more people to use the facility, bringing products that still had some value and could be passed on.

‘That is something that we are really lacking in the recycling area.’

Deputy De Lisle’s minority report recommendation that the island should recycle 50% of all household and commercial waste by 2010 was approved by the States in January.

‘I’m also really pushing for kerbside recycling and they have not pushed hard enough for it,’ he said.

Public Services member and keen environmentalist Scott Ogier was impressed by the public’s reaction to the WEEE initiative.

‘Each month we think it’s going to slack off and every month we continue to be surprised. It’s piled high every time,’ he said.

‘I look forward to the day when we have a civic amenity site where people can put their waste that can be reused and where people can pick it up.’

Public Services has pushed for a scavenging scheme and last weekend a trial started without being advertised.

After signing a disclaimer, some islanders took away goods in reusable condition from Longue Hougue. The haul included working laptops, microwaves, videos, stereos, radios and a petrol-powered strimmer.

‘I have always been keen on people taking things away if they can and if there has not been a problem, there is no reason why it should not continue,’ said Deputy Ogier.

Free metal recycling is already available on weekdays at Mont Cuet, which means islanders do not have to wait for the Weee weekends to offload unwanted items.

Health minister Peter Roffey said the initiative was an excellent idea.

‘Clearly, it’s been overwhelmingly successful.

‘This initiative extends the life of Mont Cuet by diverting material that would have gone into mixed-load skips.’

If it proved to be cost effective, he would like to see a permanent depot and suggested it was something for Public Services to look at.

‘I don’t think it’s much of a problem having these sorts of event where the community feel that they are taking part in a joint effort.

‘In my case, it’s not a case of diverting it from landfill but getting it out of my garden – I’m sure some of the stuff would otherwise have gone into skips for landfill.’

Deputy Roffey also backed the scavenging trial for reuseable goods and remembers similar schemes in the 1970s in Germany.

‘Reuse in the waste disposal hierarchy is even better than recycling – it’s an excellent idea,’ said Deputy Roffey.