J.E. Bergasse & Company Goes ‘GREEN’!

On March 2, 2015 J. E. Bergasse & Company Ltd partnered with Greening the Caribbean (GtC) to introduce environmentally sound waste management procedures aimed at helping the company and its staff to do the least harm to the environment by waste generated at the workplace.

Greening the Caribbean is an environmental services company providing recycling and waste management solutions to the business community. Its services also include development of workplace recycling programmes, waste diversion training, and creating green waste streams. GtC holds a waste haulage license issued by the St. Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority and is ISO26000 compliant, meaning that its business practices are ethical and transparent, and contribute to the health and welfare of the society. Its message is simple: ‘Keep Stuff Out of Caribbean Landfills’, stuff being plastic, paper, cardboard, metal, glass and e-waste.

Greening the Caribbean’s collaboration with J.E. Bergasse will surround the collection and transportation of recyclables (plastic, cardboard, paper, metal, glass and e-waste) for sorting, weighing and processing to authorized government landfills. In conjunction, J.E. Bergasse will maintain separation of waste streams for: 1. cardboard flattening; 2. plastic, tin/aluminum cans and glass; 3. e-waste; 4. food and soiled waste in landfill bins. The process also entails the submission by GtC of annual waste diversion reports, detailing tonnage diverted from the landfill for recycling.

“When we were presented with the proposal by GtC to adopt a more environmentally sound way of managing our waste, we jumped at the opportunity. These practices are an extension of what we as a company stand for and in keeping with the motto of our Cartridge World division: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Since 2010 we have been actively pushing the ColorQube Multifunction Printers from our principal Xerox which are environmentally friendly pieces of equipment and produce up to 90% less waste during use than a comparable laser device.” said Nancy Joseph, Human Resource Manager.

J. E. Bergasse is one of the first few private corporate entities in Saint Lucia to engage in this new waste management practice. At a staff training exercise on March 5, 2015 many, if not all, employees supported this new waste management system. In conclusion, J.E. Bergasse promises to continue to explore new ways for the business to sustain greener practices within the working environment.