The country spends billions per year on waste management through the National Solid Waste Management Authority, and with the introduction of this player in the industry, it will help us to cut our costs, preserve the environment, and open up doors for employment
Chairman of the St James Parish Council and Mayor of Montego Bay Glendon Harris, June 2012AD
Only in Jamaica folks, do we have waste and fail to see the fact that it’s really money. The Canadians again to our rescue, as Panther Corporation of Canada has decided to invest US$26 million in a rapid build-out of a completely solar-powered Recycling Plant as stated in the article “Cashing in on waste”, published Sunday June 24 by Sheena Gayle, Sunday Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner.
That’s right folks; Panther is more than just a brand of condoms! To be honest I though that’s what they were coming to Jamaica to make. In a way, what they are planning to do will be just as profitable, though, as in much the same way sex is unavoidable, so is the generation of Waste.
The Solar-powered Recycling Plant will begin operation by September 2012AD, effectively three (3) months after this article first broke light, pun intended deliberately….and just ripe for my blog.
This curious employment strategy, which is focused mainly on the people who live in Western Jamaica, is bestexplained by CEO and Founder Michael Mosgrove quote: “The one-day voluntary clause that has been attached to this employment drive is to observe how committed applicants are to the process of recycling and to the job that they are applying for. We have various recycling-based jobs available as well as administrative jobs so persons are encouraged to submit a detailed resume and we will match your skill sets with the jobs we have”.
A very clever way of matching skills and demonstrating a true commitment to changing Jamaica via spreading the Gospel of Recycling!
The GOJ (Government of Jamaica) and especially the Chairman of the St James Parish Council and Mayor of Montego Bay Glendon Harris were definitely showing their love for the FDI (Foreign Direct Investor) coming to Jamaica by welcoming Panther corporation of Canada with open arms, quote: “We are committed to keeping the city clean, creating jobs, and increasing the level of foreign investments in the city. This represents a first for the parish of St James, which is why the council took a unanimous decision to allow this development to go through”.
A boon to those involved in the Scrap Metal Industry as it is a US$100 million money earner, despite the looming possibility of the trade encouraging metal theft, based on the recent attempt by armed Scrap Metal thieves to break into JPS Co Metal Scrap Yard on Saturday August 25th 2012 as stated in the article “Armed scrap metal thieves attack JPS”, published Sunday, August 26, 2012, The Jamaica Observer.
Thus this new entrant into the business of collecting what we Jamaicans see as waste in order to make profit should not come as surprise, especially with their focus on Recycling all forms of waste. Their plans are simple enough: 30,000 square foot modular facility in Retirement, St James, close to the Retirement Dump, the source of their raw material, with the intention to recycle both Organic and Inorganic waste:
1. HDPE Plastic
2. PETE Plastic
3. Paper
4. Styrofoam
5. Rubber
6. Wood chips
7. Rare Earth Metal from RDA
8. Organic Waste i.e. food
9. Sewage
10. Water
11. Rainwater
12. Oxalate from Process
13. Cooking Oil
14. Electronic Waste
15. Printer Cartridges
CEO and Founder Michael Mosgrove in a telephone interview with The Jamaica Gleaner, expressed excitement with the prospect of coming to Jamaica, quote: “It was a perfect fit for Jamaica and for us because of the sunlight. In addition, the demand for recycling in Jamaica is huge right now”.
The logic behind the choice to go Solar is obvious, as Jamaica’s abnormally high electricity Rates and lack of a Liberalized Electricity Production and Distribution Market means that the sole producer of electricity on the island, JPS Co (Jamaica Public Service Company) has no competition.
This is evident from the comments of the Canadian investor Michael Mosgrove, quote: “The recycling centre will be able to run on 600 volts on the solar system for eight hours a day without grid power. The solar system cost US$4.2 million and will pay for itself in six years. It is a completely green facility and will be the first of its kind in the world”.
Thus, until Electricity Distribution Liberalization is achieved, to operate cost-effectively, Panther Corporation of Canada has to have secured markets for their recycled material as well as lower inputs independent of the JPS Grid via its US$4.2 million investment in Solar Power. The mere fact that they have apparently factored in their Investment in Solar Power, despite its considerable cost with plans of recouping their investment in their own power system in the next six (6) years indicate their long-term commitment to Jamaica.
The GOJ needs to do its part by implementing an Environmental Tax Legislation on Plastic and other Organic Waste. This could then be used to provide funding to Local and Foreign investors in Organic and Inorganic Waste Recycling as well as being an incentive for many Jamaicans to return their plastic bottles just as they do Glass bottles instead of throwing them away in gullies.
In addition, it would also encourage increased local investment in recycling other things than Metal and for persons selling Plastic and other easy-to-recycle material to go into collecting and recycling to supply the Panther Corporation Plant. It would help investors in Recycling offset the costs of Recycling Plastic, which is already in glut on the world market as noted in the article “RECYCLE WORRY – Plastic bottles flood Jamaica”, Published Sunday September 2, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner.
Even if the GOJ refuses to do this, Panther Corporation of Canada can still set up Branded Recycling Bins and even ATM (Automated Teller Machines) styled Vending Machines in Stores and Business places. These ATM (Automated Teller Machines) styled Vending Machines would pay you cash or Mobile Phone Credit from Telecom Provider Digicel or Telecom Provider LIME for sorting and disposing of recycled materials.
After all, Telecom Provider Digicel had spearheaded a mobile phone recycling project back in 2009AD as stated in the article ’Digicel launches phone recycling programme” published Thursday, August 13, 2009, The Jamaica Observer. They also launched a solar Powered mobile Phone when they were in El Salvador and Honduras, albeit mainly due to the lack of Power Outlets in those regions
So a partnership with Panther Corporation of Canada to sell more phone Credit at ATM themed Vending Machines with Panther Corporation of Canada collecting Revenue from the Waste to maintain these Solar Powered (???) Vending Machines is a strong possibility in the future.
Panther Corporation of Canada’s investment in Jamaica is The Apparition (2012) of Jamaica’s inability to properly manage its waste disposal islandwide. With the right connections in places and lowered operating costs thanks to Solar Power, Panther Corporation of Canada will be in Jamaica as long as Jamaicans produce waste, regardless of whether or not the GOJ plans to implement legislation to incentivize the recycling of Organic and Inorganic Waste.
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This Mr.Mosgrove has a very bad reputation back in Windsor Ontario Canada with fraud charges among other things listed by the OPP. And his reputation from the Negril area has home being arrested for trying to skip out on a large hotel bill and being run off a well known property for not having a legal lease and no funds at all.
How is it that he is a founder and CEO of this said Panther Corporation out of Canada but yet there is no available information about this company , not even a website. Most people will tell you that if you deal with a guy like Mr. Mosgrove , someone will get burned and I have a very good feeling that it will be the people of Montego Bay.
I think a quick background check will show that Mr. mosgrove is nothing more than a scam artist who makes his living by duping people out of their cash. Seems to me Jamaica as a whole has a lot of Mike Mosgroves running around. Mosgrove can’t go to the US because of his criminal history and he can’t pull this type of business back in Canada as they know all to well about his business practices. So enjoy Jamaica, you have a scam artist that is not welcome in two countries but he fits right in with all the other scam artists running around Jamaica.