The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

OFFICIALS of Renew Bahamas indicated yesterday that the company’s new $4 million Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) is on schedule for a mid to late May opening despite some initial setbacks due to fires at the city landfill.

Gerhard Beukes, president and CEO of Renew Bahamas, confirmed that his company is working to have the new facility “completed and fully functioning” next month in an effort to alleviate the environmental footprint of the landfill.

Mr Beukes, speaking during a presentation to the Bahamas Society of Engineers at Luciano’s restaurant, clarified the company’s purpose of investment within the waste industry. He insisted that Renew Bahamas entered the local waste market with goals of completely transforming the industry through “methodical, feasible ideas that worked”.

Mr Beukes in February announced that Renew Bahamas would construct and manage the recycling facility as a part of their $9m investment at the landfill.

At the time, he proposed that the 125,000 square foot, multi-faceted facility would aid in the reduction of fires at the site by over time reducing the amount of flammable waste products that make it on to the site.

“Once you have to fight a fire it is obviously reactive, what we have been trying to do is be more proactive in terms of preventative measures so you can have fire breaks,” Mr Beukes said.

“What we have been spending a lot of time on is to actually stop them from happening in the first place and that means more security, more preventive measures like fire breaks.”

According to the Renew Bahamas CEO, the company on average spends $10,000 a day to fight blazes at the site. Since January 1, Renew Bahamas has reported four fires at the New Providence landfill, two of which ran concurrently for more than five days.

Fires at the New Providence landfill have been a persistent problem for years. Last March, a fire burned at the dump for several weeks, causing school closures and discomfort for nearby residents.

Mr Beukes said the company’s MRF once at full capacity, would feature a conveyor belt that would stream waste through a group of “trained pickers” that will “strategically remove items from waste loads that could cause fires and items that could be recycled.”

Renew Bahamas presently employs 61 people. Mr Beukes indicated that in the coming weeks that number would be increased by 20 and eventually put the company’s staff count to 130 persons by the summer.

Mr Beukes said the company has identified a number of international markets willing to buy the waste compiled in The Bahamas.

He did indicate that the company is somewhat sceptical that the quantity of waste needed to make the operation a financial success might not exist.

“As commodities go up and down, it depends on the specific grade of the products that you have, but it is a fairly mature market internationally so if you consistently produce substantial amounts of these waste you actually can sell these in the open market fairly easily,” he added.

Renew Bahamas was contracted by government in January 2014 to manage and operate the Harrold Road landfill.

Company officials have said they are focused on establishing a sustainable waste management industry in The Bahamas.