Bid to curb throw away society

Balearic Minister for the Environment, Margalida Rossello, yesterday called on the local population to give all its help to a huge drive to clean up the Balearics and reduce the amount of waste generated. Yesterday morning, the Minister launched a new awareness campaign in a bid to encourage the general public to make a greater effort to use the selective rubbish collection schemes, i.e. deposit glass and paper in the respective containers in order to ease the amount of waste which piles up on the streets. The new 150 million peseta campaign has three main phases and has the full support and co-operation of the insular councils. What is more, the campaign to prevent the Balearic society from becoming a “throw away” community, while stressing the “need to minimalise” the generation of waste, is aimed at both residents and visitors. “Reducing waste and using the selective waste containers, is a job for everybody,” the Minister said. This message marks the start of the first phase of the campaign to reduce levels of waste. Leaflets and posters offering advice to the public are to be distributed, urging consumers to limit the use of plastic bags, use rechargeable or re-useable products, do not purchase goods covered in an excess of wrapping and try to buy liquids in glass bottles as opposed to plastic. The second phase, which will be launched between April and May, will involve the distribution of new yellow waste containers for cans, plastic bottles and bags and the cardboard “bric” containers. Consumers will also be advised to dump their paper and cardboard in the respective containers. The new yellow container will be installed across Majorca this year and instructions on how to use the new containers will be published and broadcast by the local media. The third and final phase of the campaign will involve the introduction of a new maroon coloured container for organic waste. The costs of the ambitious initiative are being split between the government and the companies in the selective waste collection and recycling industries. Apart from the campaign using the media, a special website, http://residus.caib.es is being set up with the information supplied in four languages, Castellano, Catalan, English and German. The Director General for Waste, Nicolau Barcelo, said that the campaign has been designed to encourage people to reduce the amount of waste generated, but in order to do that, the general public need to be made fully aware of the problems and the implications. mc.mdbUbitel.es