Some of the recyclables that were stored in SEC’s yard.
SABA--Saba Electric Company (SEC) NV, the sole supplier of electricity in Saba, partnered with Cadwell Inc. to implement a high-level recycling programme that is proving to be a win-win for both Saba and its utility company.
The island, measuring five square miles, was hit by two major storms in recent years, including Hurricanes Maria and Irma. Both caused extensive damage, also to Saba’s electricity infrastructure.
Although SEC was able to get back up and running after the storms in less than 24 hours, there was still a massive amount of debris that had to be stored in warehouses and utility yards. Running out of space and with no room in the landfill, SEC president-director Dexter Johnson was running out of options to dispose of old cables, streetlights, poles, transformers, used oil and other metal and plastic materials.
That is when Cadwell’s owners Andrew and Joan Cadwell proposed a comprehensive recycling project that promised to make room at SEC and help Saba remove a large amount of debris from its already-full landfill. In total, 160,000 pounds of recyclables were gathered, sorted, transported and shipped off the island to the United States.
Cadwell, which is located in Pompano Beach, Florida, is focused on identifying the best recyclers in the US to export materials to, to help defray the cost of labour, transportation and container freight.
“This was a major project for us,” said Johnson, whose vision is to continue implementing sustainable, environmentally sound practices while transforming the utility company by building its renewable power-generation infrastructure. “This project freed up space for our new power plant while improving safety at our facility,” he said.
“Saba Electric is doing a great job and is becoming a model for other Caribbean islands,” said Andrew Cadwell. “There is no question they are helping the island maintain its pristine environment with their commitment to recycling and adding 20 per cent per year to its use of solar power and possibly wind generation in the future.”
