A group from Guadeloupe, travelling by boat, visited Dominica earlier this week as part of an expedition to raise awareness of marine protection and pollution.
The group called, “7th Continent Expedition” consists of scientists, doctors and researchers. It stopped on the shores in Mero where a special ceremony was held to educate students on littering and its consequences on the ocean.
This initiative was organized by the Mero Enhancement Committee/DCTAI, 100% Green and Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation.
“Dominicans are using too much plastic and not taking care of waste, meaning that they are littering too much, littering the ravines, littering the rivers, littering the sea and wherever they are littering everything at the end goes into the sea and affect our corals, affect our sea life,” Manager of 100 % Green, Nathalie Roland told Dominica News Online.
According to her, all the littering eventually meets with other waste from other countries in the ocean.
To solve the problem of littering, Roland is of the view that Dominica needs to ban plastic bags and Styrofoam.
“We need to stop littering. So we need to educate the young ones, we need to change our bad habits,” she said.
Part of the event was a display of boats made from plastic bottles built by students from Goodwill Secondary School and the Kelleb John Laurent Primary School in St Joseph.
On display were also things made from bio-degradable material.
Roland said the experience was good for the students who were present to witness the event.
We have no one in Dominica to tell us what to do with our Gabbage, so we are still slaves and brain dead. We need Canadians to come and teach our kids what to fo with our Gabbage. We need people from Texas to come and teach us how to pray to jesus , and who jesus is. What are we going to do for our selves. Are we going to stay proffesional beggers for the rest of our lives. All you here what the Canadians, British, and Americans are doing. What are the Black Dominicans doing in Dominica, Canada, England, and America. All wr are is talk about what every body else is doing, what Color is jesus. We are every body’s Servants and proffesional beggers.
Bottles are also returned and recycled. The Canadian government decided, customers pay a few extra cents for liquor bottles and beer cans; for those who purchase them. When customers return them, they receive a refund.
These bottles are recycled. The money is used to assist non-profit organizations. Not a bad deal at all.
Due to this, today, we learn to save more and less wastage.
Nice job Mero Enhancement Committee and Mrs. Roland!
Great initiative re getting the message out…and please keep it going!
Thanks a lot. We try to keep it up
Keep Dominica clean should be the logo. Fine for littering.
Some do not care. They throw their garbage anywhere, even though garbage bins are visible. These need to be educated accordingly.
Institute a law against littering. Those who are caught littering should be fined. Enforce it.
Conspicuous signs should be placed in certain areas where there is especially a concentration of people.
They must also use re-usable, non-breakable cups and glasses. They are less expensive since they do not have to keep purchasing them. They last for a while.
Merchants must cease importing plastic bags and Styrofoam cups and plates, etc.
Order re-usable bags with handles, big enough that customers could purchase at a nominal fee for their groceries, etc.
Where tea, coffee and soft drinks are sold at especially fast food chain outlets, customers should be advised to bring their own re-usable and unbreakable cups and glasses and charge them less for the liquid.
This will take some time to implement and to get accustomed to but it is worth it. In the long run it will benefit everyone.
That’s not the way it works. They have you bring your own bags and containers and then they charge you the same price as before. And they can sell you bags and containers when you don’t bring yours. It is a plus for the business any way you look at it and it is training the consumers. I think that it would go over like a lead balloon in DA because people for the most part don’t recycle much of anything and there would be an uproar if the stores didn’t provide the plastic bags for “free.” You are paying for them any way you look at it.
who is responsible of bringing plastic to Dominica the big supermarkets namely Astaphans, the chinese, K F C groups of companies etc
We have had them in Canada for years. Slowly they are being phased out. They could be plastic but safe to use and microwave-safe. Styrofoam is out.
Not only. KFC uses paper products most of the time……………..
Just walk with your reusable bags and we will see the difference one time.
A little bird just whispered to me if I am mad to suggest what I just did – the bird continues to whisper if we go that way 99% of our Chinese – Dominican businesses would be affected….emmmmmmh!!! My response is – SO WHAT? Country first!!!
One goes, the other comes in and a better one.
In Canada, manufacturers and retail stores must abide with the new law, to save the environment and keep it clean for our health.
Great initiative and as the Nature Island we should embrace this concept, proposal and initiative. This is an opportunity for Dominica if we are serious to take the lead on this effort. If we are serious lets support Mrs. Roland or 100% Green concept in expanding and growing the business and to really put our money where our mouth is – get the necessary policies in place that would see the total band of the importation of plastics and Styrofoam from entry into the Nature island over the medium term and to embark on a program to significantly reduce and or eliminate plastics and Styrofoam material in our environment. One of the immediate steps we can take is to give incentives to businesses that engage in the research and development and importation of environmentally friendly, bio-degradable goods and to raise taxes on plastics and other products that are harmful to our environment. if we are not serious lets just continue as usual to pay lip service to this initiative.
I don’t think that you actually live in DA and know what these people do. This is a ‘take out’ food island for the most part and people burn tires and garbage.
Very well said…and stated elequently!
And I happen to AGREE 100% with you! Why are you so smart and elequent…I cannot keep up with you
If more people on this ‘hidden treasure’ and undiscovered gem of an island in the Caribbean called Dominica, had your mindset and smarts…it would be a BETTER place for us ALL.
Please keep thinking the way you do…and let us all continue to TRY our best to keep this paradise island a PARADISE!
Thank you Fantastic4.
100% GREEN is not a concept but a COMPANY which offer an alternative to plastic and styrofoam.
In my Portfolio I have products such as lunch container, shopping bags, garbage bagables, cups, straws…… all made out of plants, 100% Compostable. It will only take from 9 to 18 months when plastics need, at least, 1 century.
Check on my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/100percentgreen
Those cups, plates, etc., can produce a lot of garbage. Eliminating them and recycling could also save the government a lot of revenue. Less garbage to pick up and pay to destroy. Everyone benefits.
They are in dominica telling our kids what to do when are we going to france and tell them what to do. Is the Christians who came from Texas to give us jesus , we just accept every thing they give us and tell our kids what do we give them, they come and train us to be proffesional beggers for life, for generations after generations don’t come back go home let us fall flat on our face
Who Christian from Texas? The first set of Christians came from France – missionaries from France. Through the years others came, probably from Texas.
No one trained anyone to be professional beggars for life. Some people chose that path. Those of especially the 20th and 21st century have had the opportunity to attend school and educate themselves to this day. Some may not have been interested in obtaining an education. You must think and place the blame where it belongs.
nice, they should do like some stores overseas where they don’t give you bags to hold your groceries when you buy them, you bring your own bags
Some no longer bag our groceries. We also have to bag our own. This has saved those business owners a lot of money. Less staff.
Teach the kids how to buy and own a trawler of their own some day you are more worried about the ocean than people feeding them selves go back home and live us alone let us fall on our face and lear to do it for our selves we don’t need your help
Said like a true DA’can.
Another idiot, uneducated, non-sensical, and STUPID comment!
We should not worry about the ocean? Go bank inside your shack Jerko, and continue to watch Bill O’Reilly or Jerry Falwell on TV.
What an idiot! Almost beyond comprehension!
You’re exaggerating. There are other organizations which help feed those who are in need of.
They are simply teaching how to be environmentally safe and clean. Nothing is wrong with that.
The world has become more populated. It has been generating too much garbage and litter. Environmentalists are simply showing how to avoid that mess which also cost money to dispose of.
We in Canada of all are not complaining. We paid for those plastics and now we are using a different kind of plastic. This means we discarded what we previously had. No problem! It is also for our health.