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George Maponga in Masvingo
First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa has decried the proliferation of illegal dumpsites in most urban areas that are now posing a serious threat to public health, exhorting families throughout the country to embrace waste recycling to save the environment and boost incomes.
The First Lady, who is also the Environment Patron, underscored the importance of restoring the environment to its undisturbed state.
She called for the adoption of recycling as a business to arrest the worsening rot in most urban centres.
Amai Mnangagwa made the call at Masvingo Polytechnic yesterday during a “Recycling as a business” course graduation ceremony where she was represented by Professor Prosper Matondi, the
Chief director for Environment, Climate and Meteorological Services in the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Tourism and Hospitality Industry.
Scores of graduands drawn from Masvingo’s seven administrative districts received certificates after undergoing recycling training courtesy of the Mother of the Nation.
The course was undertaken after the First Lady, through her office, decided to build capacity of citizens in the entire country on recycling as a business.
The First Lady noted that waste recycling played an important role in the management and reduction of waste in the environment.
“Let me hasten to say that the improper disposal of solid waste as well as the untimely collection of waste in most urban centres has resulted in a decline in the quality of our environment. I have noted with concern ladies and gentlemen,the emergence of illegal dumpsites in most urban centres,and thus is now becoming a serious threat to human health,”said the First Lady.
She noted that of late paper and plastic has constituted a large chuck of solid waste in the country of late causing adverse effects on the environment loss of aesthetic value of the environment,death of aquatic life and livestock and also loss of wildlife.
“By embarking on recycling as a business we can save our beautiful environment from these adverse environmental effects. I believe taking the recycling route will reduce the volume of material sent to landfill and will also reduce the cost of waste management abd amount of energy used to manufacture new products from raw materials.”
“This will also subsequently save the environment from degradation,”added the First Lady.
By adopting recycling as a business, the First Lady said,livelihoods would be improved through income generation.
Amai Mnangagwa expressed happiness that many individuals and community-based organisations were now into waste recycling.
Testimonies from around the country where people have built homes and sustained families using savings from money earned from waste recycling abounded.
The Environment patron noted that waste recycling was a key factor in the national development agenda as evidenced by government’s move to prioritise recycling as a flagship output under the National Development Strategy 1.
She disclosed that her office had worked closely with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism through the Environmental Management Agency(EMA) to roll-out a training programme to capacitate grassroot communities on the best practises in the management of waste including reuse,recovery and recycling as a business.
The First Lady paid homage to those who took part and participated in the rigorous training programme ans urged the graduands to be ambassadors of waste recycling by spreading the gospel of its efficacy in their communities.
“The government through local authorities and EMA is willing to offer technical support to all emerging and already existing recycling groups,” she said.
Turning to Masvingo province she urged stakeholders to embrace sound material recovery strategies to grow the recycling industry and help in the attainment of a clean,safe and healthy environment.
She also challenged local authorities and the general public to also play their part and complete the chain of action which waa crucial in engendering participation by all in waste management.
“Industries should adopt the extended producer responsibility principle which calla upon all generators of waste to follow their products from manufacture throughout their life cycle up to disposal.”
“I encourage all citizens to start a waste separation at source drive. This will ensure that the landfill will have an extended lifespan and would not be a source of land,water abd air pollution,”said the First Lady.
According to Amai Mnangagwa the waste recycling sector had potential to expand and contribute significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
In his address Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Ezra Chadzamira hailed the First Lady for conceiving the recycling waste course training saying it would benefit communities around Masvingo.
He also noted that graduands in the course would be soldiered against proliferation of waster at the same time earning a living out of recycling it.
Masvingo Recyclers Club chair Mrs Florence Chiwera thanked the First Lady and government for assisting her members to make inroads in waste recycling for a living.
“If you can venture into waste recycling you can earn a living looking after your family instead of waiting for husbands to provide everything. You can even start loving your country because you will be doing something productive,” she said.
Masvingo Recyclers Club members were now into making aluminium pots and even durable paving bricks using waste metal containers and plastics respectively thanks to waste recycling.
In his presentation Mr Frank Kufetu the Sales and Marketing Executive at the fast expanding Masvingo top waste recycler,Stable Packaging, said there was lots of untapped wealth in waste
He showed graduands at ordinary people at the ceremony products like plastic bags abd irrigation pipes manufactured by his firm using plastic waste at their plant in the Masvingo Industrial area.
Online Reporter