By Hermisha Rolle, Staff reporter
The Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation (DSWMC) is confident that an initiative to ship recycable materials to California will reduce the volume of waste disposed at the Fond Cole Sanitary Landfill by up to 30 percent.
On Thursday, the DSWMC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Californian recycling firm, Muller Concepts for the transporting of recyclable solid waste from Dominica.
Speaking at the contract-signing in the Ministry of Housing conference room, Public Relations Officer for the DSWMC and Recycling Coordinator Jeno Jacobs said that Muller Concepts will engage in recycling all plastic, cardboard, paper and scrap metal from Dominica.
“For us recycling is the way forward; [it] is the new move for us … we have been looking for external partners to work with us to remove recyclable items like plastic, tins, bottles, paper, cardboard, derelict vehicles, scrap metal from what we call the waste stream. And the waste stream is the garbage that comes from the urban communities, the rural communities … to the landfill. We are hoping that this volume of garbage through recycling will be cut by 30%,” he said.
Jacobs said that this venture will help promote Dominica as an eco-tourism destination, and maintain a healthy nation.
Head of Muller Concepts, Grenadian Lynthia Muller told the press conference that her company is expected to help create space for waste at the landfill and a clean environment.
According to her, a future plan for her would be to produce a manufacturing plant that recycles glass into tiles and vases, among other things.
Muller said that most of the recycle material will be shipped to China, though there are markets in Taiwan, Turkey and major countries. She is hoping to ship materials on a weekly basis.
She noted that a challenge facing the project is getting residents to separate the different materials from their home.
Meanwhile, General Manager of the DSWMC Anthony Scotland stated that Fond Cole landfill has been filling rapidly.
Although it was estimated that the landfill would have taken 15 years to fill, based on the progress of waste dumping this may not be so, Scotland recognised. He said however, the Muller Concepts project will reduce the amount of solid waste gathered at the area.
Scotland said that under the project the DSWMC will be responsible for sorting out and storing the waste at the Fond Cole landfill. The corporation will also engage in sensitizing the public on the benefits of the proper collection and separating of waste items.
A pilot program to educate persons on the proper collection of waste is expected to be launched in the Bath Estate/Elmshall area.
According to Scotland, 4000 blue boxes will be distributed to houses in those communities, so persons can begin storage at home. Scotland said that collection begins from May 10 from 5 p.m. and will continue fortnightly afterward.
After the proper procedures are taken, the Corporation will load the waste items into containers provided by Muller Concepts.
Muller will be responsible for paying the port charges and help with educating citizens about the project. The company will be provided with a vehicle to transport the recyclable items and will be provided with two employees to sort out waste in the initial stage.
Scotland also took the opportunity to mentioned several other recycling initiatives that the DSWMC are currently undertaking, including the shipping of acid batteries to Trinidad. They are also exploring ways to get rid of used oil in the environment, which Scotland views as very dangerous to the public’s health.
“We are now putting a system in place to getting the hazardous waste out of the environment,” he added.
The Solid Waste Corporation is already working with Benjo’s Seamoss in exporting clear, green and brown glass bottles to Trinidad.
This is an old one, but I wish to state after all I wrote I went to Solvang to the address where that Grenada lady said her recycling plant was located and operating, only to find there was no such thing as a recycling plant there, all I found is a residential home in an upscale gated neighborhood hood, that person turned out to be either mentally ill, or simply a liar!
This should conclude; bring an end to whatever cynical plans she had, I’ll bet to this day not one soda can has been ship out of Dominica because of that lie!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Have they ever thought of using, burning most of the household bio-degradable garbage burning it to run a steam powered electric generating plant? The garbage can be burned cleanly? other countries do it.
Mr Francisco, while you are at it doing the investigation I would like you to call the Grenada Solid Waste since she made mention that she cleaned up the landfill after hurricane Ivan. Please call to speak to the GM
hmmm, Francisco, I suspect you may be on to something…..Have you visited Slovang yet? Do keep us posted because our poor little country has gotten duped too many times in the past by opportunistic con-artists. I hope this company is legitimate if not…..well we have to put a spoke in their wheel….
scoland and Jacob good work….. hope they consider all you for a National Award….
Bravoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
I hope someone from DSWMC went to the company to see how the business operate or get some references on the company before they sign the contract. All the comments so far have valid points there is no denying Dominica has to get its act together to clean up its waste and to do a better job with the three “R” reduce reuse recycle.
If Dominica wants to keep calling it’s self Nature Isle start by cleaning up Roseau and the rest of the country.
Mr. Jacob and Mr. Scotland are intelligent men and I believe they did their homework.
Mr. Telemaque why don’t you come up with a solutions instead of always pointing out what is wrong be fair and balance.
Here are the info for Muller Concepts INC.
Website: None.
Location: 332 Nykobing Solvang, CA 93463-2942(Santa Barbara-Santa Maria, CA Metro Area)
Phone: (805) 693-9480
Annual Sales (Estimated) Approximately $40,000 (falling under the less than $500,000 annual sales category).
Employees: 2
Square Footage at office location: 2,500 to 9,999.
I think someone should dig deeper into this deal.
Info garnered online.
Muller Concepts Business Information: Muller Concepts is a private company categorized under Marketing Consultants and located in Solvang, CA.
Current estimates show this company has an annual revenue of less than $500,000 and employs a staff of approximately 1 to 4.
Also Does Business As
Information not found (?)
HQ, Branch or Single Location
Single Location
Annual Sales (Estimated)
Less than $500,000
D&B: $40,000*
Employees (Estimated)
1 to 4
D&B: 2*
State of Incorporation
Information not found
Years in Business
11*
i can’t believe there are still people beliving because America is pinned to your name you must be white!!!! i get aggravated at those silly statements.
It’s a good initiative, we just have to go to the conference at elmshall and see how each of us can benifit from just recycling. It is done worldwide and homeowners and countires are benifiting alot from it.
Francisco: Please go back and read the story, take a look at the caption accompanying the photo. Could it be that you are unable to envisage a California company being represented by a black woman?
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque, is from the village of Wesley, and there should be no reminder that I am of a dark complexion, ( Me Black Too).
I am not color prejudice, for I am one endowed with a considerable amount of melanin in my skin, making me as dark as the woman representing this so called Califorina Company, which I have never heard of in the twenty-nine, almost thirty years I have been residing in Califorina.
I have no doubt in my mind that Black people are capable of owning, and running successful business, I am an example of that.
In that I have owned and operated my own business for a number of years, on the island of Antigua, and here in the Califorina, Real Estate, and all.
I still make my living through my own business. If I refer you to Marpin Television, you may recall that it was started by my friend Ron Abraham, from the ground up, and when it became successful, our people stole it from him and kicked him out the door.
Ron Abraham is a Black Dominica born!
And DNO you can print that, Ron is my friend, and I am sure he will not pursuit a law suit against you nor me. And by the way his Book Monopoly Breaker is published and on the bookshelves, perhaps it will provide some in-site on how he created Marpin Television from the ground up.
So, the comment I made regarding the ceremonial singing of this contract, has nothing to do with the signatories being black.
As I said I am going to do some research and see if this is an authentic company: if it is the name should be registered, somewhere in the State of Califorina, and it will be a matter of public Record.
Now I have a Company Registered under my name ” Telemaque Electrical ” if one go to the Hall of Records in the City of Norwalk Califorina, they will find record of my company there, even if my license was obtained from City Hall in the city of Los Angeles.
In any event, if this is an authentic company, I should find them in the Hall Of Records, in some city throughout the state of Califorina.
They can’t hide.
If I do not find them registered, that would mean perhaps they are fake!
Now, now, I made no claims that they are not real, only time will tell.
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
I have been checking the web for information on this company and I can’t seem to get a website or any in depth information about this company, Muller Concepts.
I know Ms Lynthia Muller is the President and the company is registered in California US and in business for about three years, Not suggesting that they are not legit just would like to know more about the company.
Can anyone provide me with a link to the companies website
Thanks
Well, there is a Website: If you use the key words,” Muller Concepts” it will appear, however, in my preliminary research I found a Muller Concepts in a place called Solvang, near Santa Barbara, Califorina, that’s North of Los Angeles, approximately 150, miles North of LA.
If that Muller Concepts is the one in question, it would appear that the company was started three years ago, however, my suspicions now are even greater than when wrote my first comments.
You see, I called a number which is ” 805-693-9480 ” which they claim is their number, however, when I dialed the number I found it not to be a working number, there is a recording stating it is disconnected, not in service, or something to that effect.
Now that I know the location in Solvang, I may waste some time to go to Solvang, and dig even deeper and see what I find!
Call the number and see if you get an answer.
People please remember, I am not trying to put this lady, and her counterpart in Dominica, down. The concept is good, as one has to start somewhere, but too often we have people coming to our country making all sorts of claim, and leave someone of our people holding the short end of the stick.
We must never forget this so called big time millionaire who came promised so much, and in the end this man did not even have a dollar to by his food in Dominica, he eat so much lobster that when it was found out that he was a walking broke piece of nothing with a coda phone, for his office, even the government of Dominica had to take responsibility for all the lobster he eat, and paid his food bills.
We must all remember that!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Francisco, Thanks for your effort. Nonetheless it appears to me that they don’t have a website or a business profile or some sort of in depth description about their company MULLER CONCEPTS posted on the web. It might well be that I’m doing all the wrong things, but In today’s world that type of info should be easily obtained.
Your point is well taken about our vulnerability and sometimes complete naivete’ about doing the fact checking/ investigation necessary to secure our national interest. I’m not suggesting that there is any false motives or corruption involved in this arrangement by either Mrs. Lynthia Muller or DSWMC, she might well be the person to help us solve our waste issue, BUT why is it that, there is always a clout of secrecy, a lack of transparency in all matters that deal with our national interest.
There are so many issues that on surface appears to be in our best interest but in retrospect proves themselves to be just the opposite.
I will keep stressing the point that we as a people have to become involved intellectually, educate ourselves on the issues, get involved ask questions, seek out the answers.
Let me end by stating this simple truth: Its all related!
We know now that the world has become more interconnected Politically, Economically and National Sovereignty seems to be fading away faster than we would like to see, So I put this question, How does it benefit us, when we are up against People that were bread/schooled from a very young age in the business of Politics ( ART of CRAFTINESS) and government and on the other end of spectrum we have leaders or representatives that somehow got involved in politics because it was an opportune time for them? For example would our National football team be able to beat say a team like Manchester United even if we played with all the heart and conviction in the world, I doubt it. Same goes for our political team!
WAKE UP MY PEOPLE THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM TO BE!!!
Solid Waste Corporation signs contract with US based company …
Apr 16, 2010 … Head of Muller Concepts, Grenadian Lynthia Muller told the press conference that her company is expected to help create space for waste at …
dominicanewsonline.com/?p=7897 – 12 hours ago – Similar
” The above is all that can be found about the So called one Woman Company. on the Internet”
As to why Dominica News On Line is poping up when you try to find Muller Concepts, I am bewildered!
You know something is wrong here, since I wrote the my last submission and stated I found a ” Muller Concepts” in Solvang Califorina, and found what appear to be a Website, it seems to me the so called Website no longer exists!
When I found the site, I saw five or six faces, one of which was black, and with all honesty, the black face was not the face of the person in the picture singing this agreement. By the way anybody can buy trash ( plastic bottles, ect), or pick them out of trash bins, get a huge quantity and then sell it to a recycling company.
Now if that’s what it takes to be classified as a company, then maybe, however, with the disappearance of the less than a page Website, I think something is out of order ( and I doh saying what eh). ” I is Dominica boy eh, from de mud in Wesley!
I after reading the persons comment in which they thank me for my efforts, I keyed in the Key Words, ” Muller Concepts” only to find what is written above…
I will still visit Solvang on Monday, to see if this is a fake, or an all fools-day joke, coming to think about it when you take a look on the face of our Dominica counterpart, we read skepticism on his face.
Oh, well perhaps we are on another wild goose chase.
…the following is what I found the first time:
“Buying Offices Distributors / Wholesalers Importers / Exporters Manufacturers Trading Companies Regular Member
1 Trade Lead posted
0 Current Products Muller Concepts, Inc
Create your own company page now!
Muller Concepts, Inc
We started the company 3 years ago with the intention to help protect the environment. We currently operates 3 recycling centers in the Caribbean and is growing rapidly
Main Products & Services we Sell: hms 1 2, occ, stainless steel, pet, ubc, copper, hdpe, paper, aluminum.
Main Products & Services we Buy: hms 1 2, hdpe, teak wood, pet, copper, stainless steel, ubc, aluminum ”
They seem to have deleted the thing since I said the number they claim to be their number is a nonfunctional number.
….
They did not know that there was a curious boy from Wesley living so close to Solvang!
Solvang is more or less a place with a large Danish population, there are lots of recreation, and shopping places there, so though my trip to investigate this company, might be a waste of time, I may take some time to have a few glass of Danish Beer, laugh until I cry.
Happy hunting, and spying Francisco: hahahahahahahahahaha!!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
I am behind you 100% Miss Lady. A few red flags went up in my head as well,and i thought it was just me……….They are claiming that the volume of garbage through recycling will be cut my 30%…..a mere 30%?.So what is going to happen to the other 70%?..Who are these people and how did they get in touch with them?.Did anyone do any research?….Who is paying whom,and by how much?.
Then Scotland is talking about giving people “Blue boxes to put recycles in….are those boxes going to be Plastic?….I sure hope so ,cause what’s going to happen when it rains if the boxes are cardboard.
Talking about..according to Her future plan would be to produce a manufacturing plant that recycles glass into tiles and vase….WHAT?…You don’t produce a manufacturing plant…YOU BUILD a manufacturing plant!…….So why can’t the Govt. look into this a build a plant themselves for Dominica?
Shipping recyclable materials to China is big business,even the USA does it. That’s where all or most of their old broken Computers and other stuff goes.Scrap metal is also big business as well.
So i hope these People did their homework and look into this carefully.
Let me start off by saying the idea is one that on the surface sounds great and possibly have tremendous benefits for us in Dominica. But let us not kid ourselves; there are a lot of important information missing from this article about this company, how profitable are they?,what’s their track record, how long have they been do this type of work?
What risk will Dominica be exposed to, if this understanding falls apart or if this company violates US Environmental Laws?
At some point the waste from Dominica will become profitable for someone/ organisation, beside we getting rid of it, will there be any monetary benefits for Dominica?.
Are we just giving it away for free?
Do they own their own ship or ships that will be transporting the recyclable waste? I imagine that there’s a high operational cost peg to this operation, but then what do I know…
hey, where is the money, show some jobs, what’s going on. there must be money to be have, for that company.ofcourse recycle is beneficial, don’t get misunderstand, but this is a business also.
Rubbish-Bobol? hahahahahahahahaha
Oooooooooooooops!
Trevor Johnson, you done it again.
This time your suspicions may be right on target.
Very good news, hoping to c a change in our environment, and that evry one of us participate in this drive. A few of us will be able to b employed when ever this iniciative becomes on stream.
What I do not understand is that a company, or entity in Dominica, is supposed to be signing a business contract with a company which operates somewhere; supposedly in the State of Califorina, nonetheless, we see what appears to be two Dominica national sitting, one appears to be writing something, while another look on.
Where is the second party,( the company, or entity; the American company that is involved in this signing of the contract, or agreement?
Are the other participants invisible?
I am just curious, and hard to understand and interpret what I see!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
What you see in the picture is DSWMC Manager Anthony Scotland and Lynthia Muller of Muller Concepts. Lynthia Muller is not a Dominican and is president of Muller Concepts.
Well, Kalinago, I might as well advised that business contract is what you should consider DOA ” dead on arrival. ” Please do not ask me why, because you would not like my comments, nor sentiments on that.
Just value it for what it seems.
Sweet old nothing!
And now I am going to research this Califorina Trash Recycling Company and see what I find.
I guess you did not read the picture caption…”LYNTHIA MULLER of MULLER CONCEPTS.” Or even the article as a matter of fact….”Head of Muller Concepts, Grenadian Lynthia Muller…”
So because it’s said to be a U.S. based company you expected to see a white person? And then we want to accuse the white man of racial profiling and stereotyping. Unbelievable!
However I do have some reservation about the agreement though. While Muller Concepts is a legitimate registered company in the state of CA (Lynthia Muller is listed as President and Owner), I find it funny that the company does not have a website. Only if they operate their recycling business as a DBA or through third parties. I did read somewhere that they claim to have three recycling operations in the Caribbean…countries not mentioned.
If anything though, it’s good to see the concept of recycling being introduce in Dominica. After all we claim to be the Nature Isle.
you bunch of met veyerz if thewoman was white all you would not expose all you stained dentures…….
do you all have a better deal for Solid Waste?
I wish i was a talaban to put all you to work… cleaning the sea shores and drains… under rain…….
blaaa blaaa ….with no other solution….