Chronicle Editor
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
THERE is a need to introduce anti-litter monitors at national and other large events in the country amid revelations that more than 373 tonnes of waste was collected in Bulawayo between Good Friday and Tuesday.
Anti-litter monitors are drawn from communities and are volunteers who are passionate about preserving the environment and take part in national and community events by ensuring that litter is placed where it should be.
According to the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), a total of 373,9 tonnes of waste was collected from Good Friday to Tuesday in Bulawayo alone, about 261,8 tonnes was all recyclable material and the remainder of about 112,1 tones was a mixture of bio-degradable and non-recyclable material.
Most of the recyclable and bio-degradable matter, EMA said, was generated on the day of the Independence Celebrations, where there were food packaging containers, soft drink-polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and water containers, forming the larger chunk of the recyclable materials.
During the 42nd Independence Day celebrations held at Barbourfields, anti-litter monitors were present around the stadium and were ensuring that litter was placed in bags awaiting collection by the local authorities for disposal.
EMA environmental education and publicity manager Mrs Amukela Sidange, said the aim of the activity was to conscientise the public about waste disposal and management at large gatherings.
“We took it from two angles, that we want to educate the public, send the message home to promote proper wastes management tendencies and to also create stewardship in as far as the environment is concerned.
Secondly, we wanted to educate the public that we need to recycle our waste at such gatherings. In the process of educating, we wanted to ensure that we are hands-on, to show by doing that it is possible to collect waste and separate it for recycling. This is part of our mandate that compels us to ensure there is no pollution or environmental degradation,” she said.
Mrs Sidange said this was not the first time they had anti-litter monitors at national events.
“We have done it with local authorities around Zimbabwe as we want to inculcate in them that there is a need to have a team to monitor issues of waste where people are gathered or are at events. We activated our litter monitors at the Independence celebrations in Bulawayo, they are from our community structures, when we have such gatherings, we just activate them and they assist in waste management at national events,” she said.
Mrs Sidange said the response was positive.
“The strategy was well received by the public as it served as a reminder to those gathered that they must always strive to leave stadia and other places they gather clean after events. We at EMA feel encouraged that we have to set aside such a group to educate the public by doing.”
Mrs Sidange said the anti-litter monitors were not paid by the agency but volunteered to do the work which she said goes to show that among communities, as citizens, there are people who exhibit stewardship when looking at issues of the environment.
“We, however, want to stress that the litter monitors were there to monitor that there is no litter flying around the environment and not to pick litter after people who were littering. As a people we need to understand that the best way to go is not to litter at all, litter must be placed in bins,” she said.
Looking into the future, she said communities should be alive to the fact that waste management was also their mandate when there are large events.
“Let us be very vigilant and always spare a thought for the environment considering that when people are gathered there is generation of waste. We need vigilant organisations that will ensure the environment is restored to how it was before the event took place and be even cleaner.
“We want to impress upon communities that this becomes the future of events in the country whereby we identify a team that will be monitoring waste management. We also encourage those planning the gatherings to have enough waste receptacles,” added Mrs Sidange. — @NyembeziMu
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