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12. SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

12.1 SOURCES OF SOLID WASTE

Solid Waste will originate essentially from the following hotel components:

(a) Kitchen’s operations during daily activities (b) Individual chalets (c) Service areas (d) Restaurants (e) Maintenance of the premises, including the green spaces (f) Desalination Plant (g) Landscape maintenance

12.2 COLLECTION OF SOLID WASTES

Dry solid wastes from the above sources will be collected in waste bins which will be located at appropriate locations within the source areas. The wastebins will be emptied regularly by the maintenance/cleaning teams into the garbage room situated at the back of the premises, remote from the guestroom areas.

The wet garbage and bottles are also kept in the garbage and waste area, awaiting collection.

Kitchen waste is moved in cans to the garbage area; wet and perishable material will be kept under tight cover to inhibit any smell. A bottle storage area will also be provided.

These areas will be fitted with self-closing doors to ensure privacy.

Proper ventilation will be provided in the garbage room. A water point will be installed in the garbage area for the provision of water for washing purposes. Adequate drainage will also be installed, which will discharge into the drainage network of the hotel, which will be duly designed by the M&E Engineer at the detailed design stage of the project.

The garbage room will be fitted with fire protection equipment such as fire alarm system, and portable fire-fighting equipment.

The above provisions and measures will be taken to provide a safe and environmentally friendly solid waste handling.

The garbage room will be positioned within the service area, remote from the visible main areas and guestroom blocks of the hotel.

12.3 DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTES

At regular intervals, the solid waste will be transferred from the hotel’s garbage and waste area to the collection vehicles, under appropriate supervision. Solid wastes originating from the cleaning of the premises and maintenance of the green spaces will also be collected and disposed to approved dumping sites. The collection from central garbage room will be effected on a daily basis by a private contractor, or through other arrangements as may be existing on the island of Rodrigues.

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12.3.1 Sorting of Solid Wastes

At the garbage area, separate bins will be constructed to allow sorting and segregation of solid wastes into the following categories:

Biodegradable wastes from kitchen and toilets Plastic material Metal wastes Green wastes

12.4 SOURCES AND DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTES FROM DESALINATION PLANT

Seawater pumped from the beach wells will be pre-filtered firstly through the geo-textile cloth provided around the fibreglass sleeves and secondly through the same cloth around the central perforated PVC intake pipe; consequently the majority of solid particles will be stopped at the well level while only fine silt or sludge particles are expected to reach the sand filters.

Backwashing to clean the sand filters will then be done for not more than 5 to 10 minutes. The backwash water will afterwards be discharged into a lifting station in the vicinity of the plant room from which it will be transferred with the other effluents to the existing wastewater treatment plant situated towards the southern tip of the site.

As a result, there will be no generation of solid wastes, consequently no need for disposal of whatsoever solid wastes.

The membranes will become solid wastes only when permanently damaged or worn-out and needing replacement. As such times, the damaged membranes will be carted away together with solid wastes generated by hotel activities.

12.5 GREEN WASTES

Maintenance of the landscaped and green areas will give rise to solid waste in the form of:

Cut branches Dry Leaves Grass Cuttings

These types green wastes are generally referred to as “green wastes” and are biodegradable.

For these green wastes, a composting system will be installed for achieving:

(a) Reduction in overall volume of disposable wastes (b) An environmentally friendly solid waste treatment (c) Production of fertilizers – which are the final product of compositing for use within the

landscaped areas

12.5.1 Compost Plant

As an environmental measure, the biodegradable kitchen wastes and the green wastes arising from the maintenance of the landscaped areas of the hotel will be composted.

The composting process operations will be kept as simple possible. Pre-fabricated plastic compost bins known as “Green Bins” will be utilized in the required quantity, and placed within the service area. Such a pre-fabricated compost bin is shown at Annex 12A at the end of Section 12.

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12.6 FEATURES OF THE GREEN BIN

The Green Bin is manufactured locally to international standards, in 100% stabilized and non-decay polyethylene, and recycles solid wastes to produce a composted fertilizer end-product which is 100% safe for re-use.

12.6.1 Process

The Green Bin combines the conditions necessary for the creation of the natural environment conclusive to composting namely: humidity, oxygen and organic matter. It helps to achieve an accelerated growth of aerobic bacteria – micro-organisms which are present in nature and which activate the decomposition of organic (biodegradable) solid wastes to form humus. Therefore, while rapidly breaking down the vegetal solid waste (a composting cycle takes about 20 days), it produces end-product which is rich and organic.

12.6.2 Components

The Green Bin is a rotatable, practical and easily-handled equipment. It is manufactured locally to Australian norms, in 100% stabilized and non-decay polyethylene. It is thus long-lasting and does not require any maintenance.

Handles are incorporated to facilitate the rotations; the rotating drum is fixed onto a tubular frame made out of galvanized iron – which provides the necessary support to the rotating bin.

12.6.3 Re-Use Potential

The Green Bin end-product is a free fertilizing material and is 100% safe ecologically. It is an exceedingly rich fertilizer and can be re-used in the following ways:

Mixture of compost material with earth for growing of vegetables and fruits As a soil enrichment product Protective soil layer The compost material procures natural benefits to the soil, which are necessary for a

healthy vegetation, such as: Nutrients Retention of Humidity Increase in soil aeration and drainage potential Decrease in risks of erosion of the soil Decrease in pathogenic content of the soil pH control

The above advantages lead to a marked reduction in the use of chemical fertilisers (which are moreover costly, hazardous and therefore detrimental to the environment).

12.7 STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS IN RESPECT OF SOLID WASTES

The promoter and/or his project team will discuss with the relevant Authorities in Rodrigues to ensure that all existing regulations are fully complied with i.e. in respect of the on-site solid waste collection system to be procured at the construction stage, and also in respect of collection and disposal at the hotel’s operational phase.