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Writes Rebecca Munetsi
Everyone generates waste. Be it at home. Be it at church. Be it at work. Be it in the streets. What you do with the waste is very important. Do you eat a banana, throw the peels on the streets, and walk away? Do you tear papers in class and throw them on the floor? What do you do with your waste? Do you look for a bin to throw your litter or do you just throw it away and your heart does not beat an inch? Always remember that you are responsible for your waste.
These are some of the key messages shared with the Rio Zim staff and community members by the Anglican Dioceses of Central Zimbabwe (ARDEZ), recently.
Taking the campaign of ‘Smart We Care’ to a higher level, ARDERZ was one of the exhibitors at Rio Zim Mining Company Wellness Week, to share knowledge and promote sustainable and smart waste management practices that minimise the impact of climate change on humans, animal and marine lives.
Project officer for the Anglican Church, ARDERZ desk, Mr Darlington Musekiwa says, the church can engage its congregants and enhance awareness of waste issues, increase understanding of waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and resource recovery.
“One major environmental problem that confronts Africa and its local government and municipal authorities is that of waste management and its disposal and as the church we are glad to be part of caring for our environment through good waste management practices,” he added.
One of the drivers of these unhygienic environmental conditions is the rapid urbanisation which has resulted in waste accumulation and increased pressure on urban infrastructure and environmental services. Furthermore, a good majority of households in Zimbabwe use improper waste storage receptacles in the form of buckets, sacks, plastics, and bins without lids to store waste. Sometimes in high-density suburbs such as Mkoba in Gweru, they simply dump waste on the streets, yards, abandoned houses, or uncontrolled dumpsites.
Most high-density areas are an eyesore with litter uselessly dumped on uncontrolled dumpsites. This situation poses serious public and environmental health hazards as the uncovered wastes serve as proliferation grounds for disease vectors. Gweru Ratepayers and Residents Association, GRRA, Director, Mr. Cornilia Selipiwe says in the City of Gweru and the country, people have poor attitudes and perceptions towards solid waste handling.
“Waste management should be looked at from both ends. Collectively from the residents’ perspective, they should reduce waste creation, and separate waste at source. People need to be educated to understand the importance of safe disposal of waste. It’s an issue that residents’ associations and authorities need to work together so that they do not throw litter everywhere. Residents are not managing their waste. They think it’s the authority’s job.”
Most residents store their household refuse waiting for council facilities for their household refuse disposal. If the waste management authority’s vehicle fails to collect garbage they go by night to dumping sites to offload their waste.
Analysts say waste management systems in Africa’s urban areas need to be addressed holistically to protect public health and the quality of the environment. If not managed properly, they lead to Climate change and the tragedy of the Commons. These two have a cause-and-effect intricate relationship and are to a greater extent interrelated. Climate change is as a result of anthropogenic factors that are being carried out to serve self-interests while the tragedy of the commons also focuses on narcissistic interest by human beings, causing an increase in human catastrophes such as diseases in cities.
The Africa Waste Management Outlook for 2018 reports that Africa is currently recycling only 4% of its waste. A far cry from the African Union vision that “African cities will be recycling at least 50 percent of the waste they generate by 2023.
Generally, 125 million tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) was generated in Africa in 2012 which is expected to double by 2025. The disposal of more than 90% of waste generated in Africa is disposed of at uncontrolled dumpsites and landfills, often with associated open burning. Nineteen of the world’s 50 biggest dumpsites are in Africa, all in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Several waste management studies done across Africa with reference to Bawku (Ghana), Dakar (Senegal) and Freetown (Sierra Leone) indicate that much of the municipal solid waste from developing countries is mainly generated from private households, constituting an average of 55% – 80%; whilst market areas contribute 10% – 30% and institutions contributing the least. Research further indicates that waste from these sources is highly heterogeneous in nature and has variable physical characteristics depending on their sources. Apart from the present concern of governments, organizations, and individuals about waste management in Africa, the continent still faces more serious waste management problems with its accompanying negative health and environmental consequences.
The church was grateful to be part of this multi-faceted approach to communities’ well-being.’ Having a mining company extending its hand to the church for an engagement is well appreciated. The church carries a large constituency of families and people that generate waste hence it is a critical stakeholder in promoting good waste practices. The public should be educated to enable them to be part of the solution rather than the problem in waste management.
The church was applauded for joining the government, the private sector, Non-Governmental Organizations, and donor agencies to strengthen good waste management practices in the country. Through the Smart We Care campaign the church is educating the public on proper ways of handling solid waste and keeping the surroundings clean. People are urged to develop proper attitudes and perceptions towards waste handling. Members of the public are being sensitized about the importance of keeping the environment clean and safe, by practicing good waste management strategies such as sorting, recycling, and composting.
Ultimately, improved waste management systems will lead to a reduction in infectious diseases such as diarrhoea, typhoid, malaria, and chronic diseases such as asthma. In addition, it promotes the well-being of vulnerable populations for the benefit of the ecosystem.