HLB council calls on residents to participate in waste management

Judith Phiri, Business Reporter

HWANGE Local Board (HLB) has called on residents to utilise part of the waste generated at their households in a bid to reduce littering in communities.

HLB public relations officer Mr Dumisani Nsingo said there was a need for residents to complement the local authority’s efforts of keeping the environment clean.

He said while more emphasis has been placed on the traditional collection of waste, the principles of integrated solid waste management have not been fully followed.

“We appreciate that Council is supposed to collect refuse, but there is a need for residents to also embrace integrated solid waste management through practising the concept of reducing, reusing and recycling waste,” he said.

Mr Nsingo said that modern trends demand the sustainable management of solid waste through waste minimisation, material recovery, full collection and sanitary disposal of waste.

He said that not all waste should be discarded so as to reduce the amount needed to be sent to landfills as well as following products to be used to their fullest extent.

“Residents can reuse some of the waste generated at their households instead of disposing it.”

Mr Nsingo said every citizen has a right to a clean environment but hinted on the need for a collaborated approach by all stakeholders in curbing illegal waste dumping.

He added:”Everyone has a right to a clean environment as enshrined in the
Environmental Management Act and Public Health Act and these are also constitutional rights. However, there are some residents that tend to violate others’ rights through dumping litter at undesignated areas.”

Mr Nsingo said solid waste management has become a major concern both to the natural environment and society virtually in all suburbs.

“Council can chip in through disseminating information against illegal solid waste dumping as well as community policing. We do offer a reward to anyone who reports someone found littering because it’s actually an offence to do that,” he said.