If you think BVI’s Green VI is just a glass studio – think again.
Green VI is a local ‘not-for-profit’ organisation aiming to create a cleaner, greener and healthier BVI.
Currently running projects that tackle waste, education covering a ‘greener’ Virgin Islands, and energy consumption, here are 10 great accomplishments that Green VI is proud to showcase.
Waste
- (1) Glass Studio – located in Cane Garden Bay, Green VI’s Glass Studio demonstrates how ‘trash can become treasure’ as they transform old bottles into art, scrap materials into packaging, and used vegetable oil into fuel.
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- (2) Plastic bag ban – Green VI and Worldhouse Caribbean partnered with eight major supermarkets to implement a one-year voluntary ban of plastic bags in March 2013. An education and awareness campaign was applied with the screening of the Bag it documentary for all Tortola students.
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- (3) Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – Green VI partners with, and assists, the Department of Waste Management, local recyclers and the USVI Recycling Partnership to promote better waste management practices. Green VI sits on the working group to implement the progressive Solid Waste Management Strategy for the BVI. Green VI’s main goal is to help people utilise and re-envision ‘waste as a resource’ not a problem.
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Education
- (4) Sustainability training – Green VI facilitated sustainability training of 35 key BVI representatives from government, local businesses, and NPOs. A vision and roadmap of how to achieve sustainability in the BVI was created and is available online. A sustainability network was formed which meets quarterly – if you are interested in joining, email [email protected]
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- (5) Outreach – Green VI’s on-going outreach includes trash to treasure art demonstrations, presentations, field trips, and mentoring to raise awareness about sustainability in the BVI. Green VI mentor students to help them implement sustainability projects within their organisations.
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- (6) ‘Greening’ Ivan Dawson Primary – Green VI’s 2014 Earth Day event involved 100 volunteers working in partnership with students, teachers, and parents of Ivan Dawson Primary School. Sustainability activities included: de-moulding the school, repainting the interior with an eco-friendly mould inhibiting paint, installing LED lights and five energy efficient fans, creating a playground with used tyres and old pallets. Watch how they did it at greenvi.org
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- (7) ‘Greening’ events – Green VI assists in ‘greening’ events such as the National Parks Trust Flower Show, the BVI Spring Regatta, the BVI Boat Show, and others. Find out how to green your event by visiting greenvi.org
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Energy
- (8) Online petition/ Handing over draft legislation – Have you ever wondered why there aren’t solar panels decorating every roof in the BVI? It’s because there is a law from the 1970’s restricting renewable energy sources. To help remedy this, Green VI created an on-line petition to call for amended legislation permitting the use of renewable energy in the BVI. Harneys—a law firm in the Territory—worked pro bono and drafted subsidiary regulations that Green VI handed over to government. Subsequently, the government of the BVI have been working diligently to change the status quo with the dream of clean, renewable energy as a reality in the BVI.
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- (9) Biofuel conversion – The Green VI Glass Studio is now demonstrating how to utilise used vegetable oil as an alternative fuel source by running their reheat chamber on this ‘waste’ stream.
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- (10) LED retrofits – Green VI facilitated the retrofit of Ivan Dawson Primary with LED lights. Funding has been secured to retrofit the Youth Environment Project in 2015. The use of LED lights consumes over 40% less energy than standard light bulbs, can last up to 25 years, and contains no toxic mercury.
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[/one_half][one_half_last]To support Green VI’s work, join for a day of family and corporate fun at their annual CHAIR-ity fundraiser on the February 7, 2015 at Nanny Cay from noon until 6pm.
As with past years, the ‘CHAIR-ity’ will auction-off chairs made from recycled materials to raise funds for Green VI. The new format will also include an eco-festival with vendor booths, plant sales, and a beach barbeque.
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