MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

BAS contracts waste recycler for Antarctic bases

British Antarctic Survey, BAS, has appointed United Kingdom Thetford based waste recycler Pearsons to handle some of the waste generated by scientists working at BAS survey stations in Antarctica.

More than a third of the waste shipped out of the BAS stations in Antarctica and South Georgia has gone for recycling this year.

Three truck loads (140 cubic metres) of segregated recyclable material, including paper, cardboard, plastic, aluminum, steel, glass, fabric, fluorescent tubes, and electrical goods were collected at the dockside in Grimsby by Pearsons and brought back to Thetford for sorting and recycling.

BAS is committed to recycling as much of its waste as possible.

Waste that cannot be recycled is offloaded in the Falkland Islands for controlled landfill. Everything apart from sewage is removed from the Antarctic.

"We pride ourselves on being able to handle just about anything, but recycling waste from Antarctica is unusual, even for us!" said Pearsons' Jo Pearson.

Pearsons was chosen by BAS because it was able to handle all recyclable wastes produced on Antarctica.

"Previously, BAS had returned some materials to the UK for recycling, but much more had been land-filled on the Falkland Islands", revealed Pearsons.