Minister for the Environment, Cozier Frederick, is calling on Dominicans to uphold the nation’s environmental integrity by actively participating in efforts to maintain the country’s natural beauty. His appeal came during a handing-over ceremony at the Fond Cole landfill on Friday, where a $150,000 truck was presented to the Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation (DSWMC).
The truck, funded by the Office of the National Authorising Officer (NAO), will be modified to enable the separation of plastic, glass, and cans, marking another step towards sustainable waste management.
Frederick emphasized the importance of collective responsibility in preserving Dominica’s reputation as the Nature Island of the Caribbean.
“We have a responsibility as citizens to play our part in ensuring what we do as a country and keep the brand that we have, a nature island brand,” he stated. Reflecting on the resilience of nature following Hurricane Maria, he noted that while the environment has the ability to heal, human habits often contribute to its degradation.
“It appears to me that it is our habit as human beings who have settled on that wonderful space, and that space is a space that people died for, blood shed, years of struggle… A space that we all have to keep on cherishing,” Frederick noted.
The minister also criticized the careless disposal of waste, pointing out a concerning attitude among some citizens.
“There seems to be a sort of notion in people’s minds that it is ok to throw garbage on the ground because there are cleaners to do the job,” he remarked. He contrasted this behavior with practices observed abroad, where strict penalties exist for littering. “Yet when we travel to other spaces, we carry our mint wrapper in our pockets. In some countries, there are serious penalties for people who keep the place untidy. I dare say that sometimes we have to have that heavy-end approach as well.”
Frederick stressed the fundamental right to a clean and safe environment, free from debris, pests, and health hazards. His call to action was reinforced with a glimpse into future plans, revealing that the government is aiming to secure additional waste management resources, including three trucks from the United Kingdom and five more from China.
“We have the right to have a clean environment and have it safe from debris, pests and pestilence,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, Frederick revealed that the government is hoping to make available 3 more trucks from the United Kingdom (UK) and about 5 more from China.
this Dominica is not a real country….we Dominican are not ready yet….ratatouille country
but wait awhile the truck behind them is a regular truck that not a real garbage truck ,that going to full up so fast with rubbish, boi look nonsense
Instead of all this fan fair, handover ceremo y, wasting precious time, why don’t the government just tell the public that the government has finally supplied a flat bed truck to replace a similar modified flat bed truck for recycle waste collection that got damaged beyond repair in a motor accident a long time ago.
To much and unnecessary fan fair for such a petty matter!
“Environmental Minister”? I really wished that we had an “Environmentalist” in Dominica who really cared about Cleanliness and what the environment consist of. The coastal road from ScottsHead to Portsmouth is a JUNKYARD and no one who knows what a junkyard is will dispute that. Having a garbage truck is not the solution to the indiscriminate disposal of garbage in people’s front yard and backyard. A garbage truck is not the solution for having a clean environment. The “environment minister” must start by having proper garbage deposit sites around the country where the citizens can breathe easily and don’t have to run in order to avoid the stench of garbage which are all over streets in the neighborhoods. What is the CBI money for? Dominica needs to be taken to the laundry for a clean up. When garbage is deposited on the sidewalk blocking access for pedestrians to walk is an indication that we do not have an “environment minister.” This is a disgraceful insult to Dominica.
Please do not tell me that little white thing on the side in the photo is what you all are celebrating as a new garbage track! This is 2025 not 1905! How Dominica has gone so back in time? With all the CBI money Dominica has never been more mal than nowadays. All the money gone into building ministers mansions! Plus tard plis twist!
We think this time it’s on you to keep Dominica clean. You have succeeding in turning a simple basic thing as having some trucks available to pick up garbage into a favor you’re doing to Dominicans because you have failed us. Turned D’a villages into a garbage dump. Shall we dance in the streets and sing praises, at least a block-o?
There is a misconception that separating waste is an exercise in recycling. This is not the case. Dominica uses a plastic compactor, supplied by the EU, to create compressed bails which can fill a shipping container in the most efficient way. Why a shipping container? Because Dominica sells its plastic waste to Indonesia. Why does Indonesia want to buy Dominica’s (and other countries) waste plastic? To burn in its power stations, contributing directly to a polluted atmosphere and global warming. The Dominican public is being mislead. This is not the activity of a genuine, climate resilient nature island.