Failure by the local authorities to collect refuse has resulted in urban dwellers dumping it at open sites as well as peri-urban areas causing pollution.
The solution lies in mobilising towns and cities towards building local Solid Waste Management Plans. These plans which include waste collection, storage, segregation, transportation, processing and disposal of municipal solid wastes are to be implemented at the municipal level.
A plan adopted from India’s Ministry of Environment (September 2000 “Municipal Solid Waste Management & Handling Rules) gives local Zimbabweans a blue print towards Sustainable waste management.
A State Pollution Control Board needs to be established whose sole responsibility is to:
1) Authorise the setting up waste processing and disposal facilities.
2) Monitor air and water quality and compost quality.
Further plans include:
Waste Segregation
“Municipal authority shall organize awareness programmes for segregation of wastes and shall encourage recycling / reuse of segregated materials.
The municipal authority shall undertake phased programme to ensure community participation in waste segregation.”
Waste Collection:
To prohibit littering, municipal authorities should take the following steps:
Organise house to house collection of solid wastes.
Devising collection of waste from slums and squatter areas and localities including hotels, restaurants, office complexes and commercial areas.
Wastes from slaughter houses, meat and fish markets, fruits and vegetable markets, which are biodegradable in nature, shall be managed to make use of such wastes.
Collected waste from residential areas shall be transferred by hand-driven containerized carts or other small vehicles.
Horticultural and construction or demolition wastes or debris shall be separately collected.
Waste garbage like dry leaves shall not be burnt.
Post published in: News
Waste management is an essential urban requirement, and it requires participation of urban residents and local businesses as well as municipal authorities.
If waste is separated at source, ie household or factory floor, into categories such as glass, plastic, metals, paper products, biodegradable materials, oils, chemicals etc. then some of these will be sufficiently commercially valuable that businesses can make a profit from collecting and recycling them, or using the biodegradable waste to generate energy. The remaining waste that needs to be disposed by burial in a landfill will be much reduced. Costs of such a system are less due to commercial reuse of much of the waste, and the environmental impact of waste management is much reduced too.
There needs to be a strong program of public advocacy to motivate the urban residents, but such recycling can reduce waste removal costs, provide inputs for a number of recycling businesses, generate energy and promote a sense of civic pride.
Can it be done in Zimbabwe – yes indeed, but only be well motivated and well directed political actions; something we are not used to.