A leading recycling firm could soon tap into international markets after its homegrown, climate-resilient paving blocks — made from discarded plastics and other waste — attracted interest from the Dutch king and queen, the company told Barbados TODAY.
Known as pavers, the specially designed, climate-resilient blocks — which can be used to pave footpaths, driveways and other surfaces around residential and commercial properties — are among the latest value-added products made by B’s Recycling to attract the attention of overseas buyers and development agencies, managing director Paul Bynoe said on Thursday.
With a tolerance of 2 600 pounds per square inch (PSI), the pavers, produced from multiple waste materials including shredded plastic bottles and their caps, mixed with sand and other reused stock, could soon be heading to the Netherlands, Dutch Caribbean dependency Curaçao, and to Guyana.
A deal is in the early stages of being concluded for exports to the Dutch territories after King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands saw samples of the pavers during a visit to Curaçao and “were surprised and very impressed”, said Bynoe.
Bynoe said the samples were taken to Curaçao by Martijn Kampshoff, founder and chief executive officer of Fuse Kitchen, who partnered with Bynoe to supply the machine that makes the pavers.
Without going into details given the early stage of the negotiation, Bynoe disclosed that the royal couple are keen to cooperate with his company to work out a trading package.
Bynoe said: “There is something else we are working on that they also asked for. So, we are going to do two in one shortly. We hope to get it done between now and February next year. We are working on it strong. The volume that they could possibly want, being by the machine that we have is actually the first machine that was made by this particular company, and it is manual. But we are now going after the one that is automatic where we can just lock and load in order to get things done.
“To export to these countries abroad, yes, that is in the works, and we are hoping that things will go well there. For now, we will be exporting to Curaçao and the Dutch countries. Yes, we are looking to do other things, and more things… taking your time is not laziness. I am rolling with the ball as it rolls. With the automatic machine, we will more than double what we are doing there now. All we got to do is lock and load, and the machine does the rest.”
The manual model currently churns out more than 300 pavers per day, he added.
Bynoe also disclosed that Barbadians will now pay reduced prices for the pavers from the hardware store Kooyman which has six other branches across four Dutch Caribbean islands.
“I know in Barbados right now, you can get them at Kooyman,” said Bynoe. “All that we are producing right now is going to them… seems to be moving quite well, with some better prices coming now that we were given a little concession. So, we are looking to pass this onto the consumers.”
The B’s boss also revealed that plans are in the works to export to other Caribbean countries.
“It is on the cards. I know for a fact that when we launched these same stepping stones, I had a good friend from Guyana, who showed a great interest in having them. Right now, he is building a nice home and as soon as he puts together the measurements, our first shipment to Guyana will leave Barbados, I believe, between now and February next year.”
Bynoe also announced that the European Union has expressed an interest in supporting the pavers project.
“The European Union… were very surprised when they saw it during a recent visit,” he declared. “They are asking about our plans, but I can’t really open my mouth about that right now. But, they are more than willing to help us; and the thing about what we do here… in times past we get to meet some very nice people, and the right people, not only willing to assist, but also willing to lend a guiding hand. Money is one thing, but guidance is the next; and guidance sometimes is better than the money itself. So, with that on the cards, I give all thanks to God Almighty.”
Bynoe explained that the EU assistance, spearheaded by Ambassador Fiona Ramsey, would allow his business to recycle more materials.
“Recycling is mainly to pull down something and put it right back up. That is the aim. The aim is to get into more things with this material. I am of the opinion that in the same way other people can do it, like the Chinese and Brazilians doing things with raw materials, I don’t see why we can’t do it here in Barbados. Knowing now that we can use God-given energy from sunlight, I am saying to you that we should be able to get into more manufacturing here in Barbados.”
Officials from Spain, France and Ireland have also given the thumbs-up to the pavers project during a recent tour of B’s Recycling, according to Bynoe.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb
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