With plans to transform its entire business model in January 2011, local bottling and distributing firm Josephine Gabriel and Company Ltd. is considering avenues to dispose of used plastic bottles in an environmentally-friendly way.
Last week, the company announced that from January 1, 2011, it will no longer bottle its Coke, Sprite and Fanta beverages but will import them strictly in plastic bottles from neighboring islands.
Marketing consultant for the company Steve Jonson told media last week that the company and the Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation is jointly devising the best way to get rid of the waste material.
“It’s been part of our discussions over the last few weeks. We have already met with the solid waste teams, here in Dominica, because we understand that there are going to be a large volume of our bottles into the environment,” he stated.
Johnson said that the company is seeking to minimize the impact on the environment.
“We are exploring along with the Coca-Cola Company to make sure that the impact on our environment is minimal and so together with Solid Waste we are going to ensure that there is some level of collection of those bottles, and we’re also going to explore the possibility of a piece of equipment that we will use for the shredding of the PET,” he said.
“Now once that PET is shredded, we will work with Solid Waste to decide on what happens to it after it is shredded. We will either give it to Solid Waste for burial into the landfill into a specific area or it maybe exported out of the country to a recycling company within the region that can utilize the chips for the processing of new products,” Johnson stated.
Johnson believes that the company should be commended for its efforts “because we’re not the only importers of PET but we’re making sure that our impact moving forward is minimal and that we’re working with the agencies-the government agencies- to make sure that the public, the consumer, becomes sensitized as to what to do with those bottles after so that they do not end up in our landfill or in our rivers or on the sea or along the roadways”.
There is a solution…..glass bottles that are recyclable. We need only to look at our neighboring islands to see what happens when profit is put in front of doing the environmentally right thing. By 2025, the tallest mountain in the Virgin islands will be Mt. Trashmore (the landfill) If we are touting ourselves as the nature island and looking for tourism to help our economy we need to keep the theme “nature island” foremost in our decision making. This action is stepping backwards. It is in our opinion, criminal to use petroleum to build more waste. If “eco” is a goal of Dominica, how can we promote the senseless use of petroleum to make throw away bottles (liter)? Dominicans should be offended to think that Coca Cola (Mr. Johnson) would have us believe they care about the impact of the environment. It sounds as though they’ve already made the decision to switch from glass to plastic and as yet to have a plan to properly dispose of the plastic waste. It doesn’t take a genius to figure the best way to handle waste…….don’t create it in the first place.
I am surprised more Dominicans aren’t up in arms at this decision. Anyone who calls themselves eco or green needs to stand up and be counted on this matter.
We may be done purchasing any coca cola products if this decision remains with plastic and hope others will join us.
Plastic is recyclable.
****READ THIS AGAIN FROM STEVE JOHNSON ON WHAT TO DO WITH THE “SHREDDED PET” ****
“We will either give it to Solid Waste for burial into the landfill into a specific area or it maybe exported out of the country to a recycling company within the region that can utilize the chips for the processing of new products,” Johnson stated.
Don’t be foolish Mr. Johnson. This is nature island. You should not even be thinking of giving it to solid waste for burial into the landfill???????? There’s only one solution!! If we can’t reuse it then we must refuse it!! EXPORT THE DAMN THING!!! Does anyone get my point????
wait…. so no more glass bottles =( but they taste better in the glass bottles…. there goes my nostalgia
I apologise beforehand if I am wrong.
But by importing these drinks in plastic bottles rather than bottling them in DA, take jobs away from locals?
@celine: that is so true celine, there is someone who collects bottles from her workplace for a kind club that I volunteer for, some weeks aback she gave me a few bags, i turend them in and I couldnt help but say ” wow, 5 cents does add up’ I collect just over $20.
are these people still living in the 19th or 20th century? give me a break! shredding? why don’t they seek government help or link up with some other company to start a recycling company?that is one way of generating jobs, or are they waiting for some foreign company to come and start it and then complain about the cost?.in Trinidad, people go from house to house buying bottles and at the end of the day they’re able to feed their family.
Recycling is the best way to go. Most of these plastic bottles are polyethylene terephthalate (PET), thats the recyling code number 1. There are many countries and factories dedicated in the recycling of these plastic bottles, i am sure it will not be dificult finding one . Another very important point in helping protect the environment from the generation of these garbbage is source reduction. It is part of the 3R (recycle, reuse, reduce).Josophine gabriel, please dont import only small bottles, import large or family size bottles also so that the average familly, insted of buying large amount os small cocacola, they can buy a large one which will last for a while.We also need to educate our people, showing them the importance of buying products which they use often in larger packets instead of buying a lot of the same product in small packets.For example buy a 3 liter bottle of oil wich will last you a month instead of buying a small bottle every week.That is called source reduction.
Hello
is there any people or company in Dominica can help me to collect and press PET Bottle to be bales?
We can buy all quantities you collect as we have recycling companies in Indonesia.
if so, please contact me on [email protected]
Many thanks
@commentator: you’re right . It is our resposibility. Plastic bottles arent diodegrabel as you all rightly said, and these are what causes massive flooding in some parts of the world. I am a fan of recylcing cause when i watch what not recycling can/will do to the environment it makes me want to do my part.
One day I went to the supermarket and bought a recyclable bag to put my groceries.. on that bag was a drawing of a soda bottle and a caption that said ” I was once a bottle, thanks for recylcing” So the bottles that i placed in my recycle bin was converted into something i could later use.. that made me want to recycle even more. Lets recycle and save mother earth
We should also do something about old tires. Presently we import other people’s cast offs in the form of used- & second grade tires, the argument being that they are cheaper. However, they cost us more in the long run with regard to: a)durability b) safety) c) increased volume of used tires for which there is no home. To regulate this I suggest we increase the duty on second hand/substandard tires and lower the tariff on new ones.
@recycler: you hit the nail on the head! It is also our social responsibility as consumers and islanders to make sure we do not litter and that we recycle what we take home.
Government and the village councils should provide bins. Not for mixing rubbish but for us to separate our rubbish. Don’t forget the plastic bags. Also explore bio degradable plastic use. I think the landfill solution is the incorrect one. Plastic will take one thousand years to break down!!!
Burial at the land fill shouldn’t be an option! Nplastic isnnot biodegradable and if buried will remain in the ground for future generations. The possibility of first shipping out of the country should be looked at while the more long term solution of having a recycling plant, actively explored.
@recycler: Good idea! I call on Cecil Joseph to take an initiative here by placing recycle containers in town for a) glass b) paper c)plastic, like the ones he must be familiar with from his visits to world cities outside Dominica. Solid Waste, or a re-cycle contractor, would collect them when full and replace them with new ones. His worship would receive a a lot of applause for such a step.
Josephine Gabriel should set up recycle machines at supermarkets that would give baack 5 cents for every bottle. http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ocP-wsRlj0XCogKezM98hA
The bottle can then be collected and shipped to wherever. In the meantime.. Dominica should start thinking of a recyclable plant.
1. Sensitive the public on the benefits of recycling, the dangers of not doing so.. these bottles can take forever to break down/decompose
2. Lets start with Roseau.. have the restaurants and fast food places collect their recycles and put them in bags/ recycle bins on the sidewalk on a specific day of the week and have a truck collect it.
3. place recycle bins on the sidewalk, close to bus stations.. encourage people to put their bottles, papers etc in
I have always wondered why we can not introduce a deposit scheme on plastic containers as is the case with glass ones. This would encourage return -and recycling and, as an added benefit, perhaps provide some income for our “street” people. Why is it possible for glass bottles but not p.e.t. ones? Can someone educate us please/open a debate? And please, the old chestnut that other countries don’t do this should not stop us from taking an initiative. There is nothing wrong in being as leader rather than a follower.
i dnt see no plan ! where are the engeneer to take those plastic bottles & transform them in energy that’s what we do in french countries & EU. Well i guess there’s a long way to go dominica…and stop make Domlec make huge profits on poor people, i find these bottle could be use to contribute in some recycling project, usa them to create energy, collect them & dnt just burn them, ….
This is a good response to the problems one can observe daily all around the isalnd. Other businesses like KFC should join the move and contribute closely to collection of solid waste. Their empty bags or cups are very often seen along our roadways, this is not good PR for this fast food franchise in the nature island of the Caribbean.
well it’s about time!