Littering a menace

disposing of them properly.
Litter refers to anything from a small crisp packet or sweet wrapper, scratched juice cards to large bags of rubbish or even an area with many items of rubbish. Often people do not consider small items such as gum, scratched juice cards or even cigarette butts to be litter but these small pieces of rubbish are often the most littered items on our streets. Litter also consists of waste products such as containers, papers, advertising fliers and wrappers which have been disposed of without consent.
Littering is one of the most problematic environmental issues in Zimbabwe. Ninety-four percent of people identify litter as a major environmental problem and yet people still litter. Carelessly discarded garbage affects every member of society. It causes harm to people and animals, blocks our waterways, costs us money as rate payers and is to suggest that we do not care for our environment.
We now live in a plastic convenience culture where virtually every human being on this planet uses plastic materials directly and indirectly every single day. World over, every year we eat and drink from some 34 billion newly manufactured bottles and containers worldwide. We patronise fast food restaurants and buy products that consume another seven billion kilogrammes of plastic which contributes drastically to litter. This type of litter unfortunately does not decompose in our environment and hence pose another environmental challenge.
Causes of Littering
There are 10 primary sources of litter:
1) Pedestrians dropping garbage such as scratched juice cards and fast food packaging in the street. 2) Motorists discarding garbage out of windows. 3) Uncovered loads. Items that are not secure can easily be blown out of trailers and cause roadside littering. 4) Household refuse disposal and collection. Animal scavengers and the wind can dislodge unsecured items placed out on the corner for collections. Litter can also result from overloading bins. 5) Commercial refuse and disposal. Poorly secured commercial refuse can easily become litter. 6) Construction projects. Litter can come from uncontrolled building waste and workers’ lunchtime refuse. 7) People at leisure. 8) Entertainment events. Events create a large amount of litter, which can overflow onto neighbouring areas when measures to control it are not carefully planned. 9) Illegal dumping. 10) Intentional or habitual littering, for reasons such as laziness or acts of rebellion.
Effects
Litter discarded in streets and parks can travel through the storm water system to our rivers, streams and dams, where it can cause harm to wildlife and aquatic life. Removing litter from the environment costs everyone money as it means high council rates in order to employ more workers to clean up the streets.
Litter is a threat to public health. It attracts vermin and is a breeding ground for bacteria. Items such as broken glass and syringes can be a health hazard in public places. Accumulated litter and carelessly discarded cigarette butts are potential fire hazards. Litter negatively affects the image of places, especially tourist locations.
Litter attracts litter. Litter sends out a message that people do not care for the environment and that it is acceptable to litter. It can harm or kill wildlife. Plastic litter can choke or suffocate birds and marine life. Litter harms our waterways. Matter such as plastic, leaves and grass clippings, pollutes our waterways.
What Does the Law Say on Littering?
It is the Environmental Management Agency’s statutory obligation and mandate to ensure that every citizen has a right to a clean and safe environment which is not harmful to health. To this effect EMA encourages all local authorities to adopt effective waste management practices including attending to littering issues. It is clearly stated in Section 83 of the Environmental Management Act [Cap 20:27] that it is an offence to discard, dump or leave any litter on any land, street or road except in a container provided for such purposes or at a place which has specifically been designated for such purpose. It also makes it an offence to throw litter from a moving vehicle.
Public transporters must put in place sufficient waste bins within their vehicles for use by the passengers as stipulated in Section 23 subSection (2) and (3) of Statutory Instrument 6 of 2007. Section 83 of the Environmental Management Act and Section 23 of S.I. 6 of 2007 seek to prevent the nuisances associated with the distribution or casting of flyers, pamphlets, advertisements or waste paper upon undesignated places. It is also an offence for recipients of such materials to throw litter on the street or road. Section 23 subsection (3) of Statutory Instrument 6 of 2007 authorises the imposition penalties and fines against offenders who dump litter in violation of its provisions.
Solution
Every person or authority in control or responsible for the maintenance of any place must at all times ensure that containers or places are provided which should normally be adequate and suitable for the discarding of litter. Public transporters and owners of vehicles must ensure that no litter is thrown from their cars.
Thoughtless drivers and their passengers are costing the taxpayer millions each year in clean-up costs when they toss litter from their cars. Individuals are not allowed to discard dump or leave any litter on any land, street or road except in a container provided for that purpose. Waste bins must be emptied at places which have been especially designated, indicated, provided or set for such purpose.
Urban or municipal authorities are urged to work with or seek help from NGOs, international agencies, the corporate world and other institutions so that they will be able to effectively provide adequate facilities for waste management, provide waste bins at strategic intervals and convenient places for litter disposal and design adequate routine waste collection mechanisms. This together with public awareness raising campaigns will go a long way in ensuring a litter free and disease free environment. Let us help keep our Zimbabwe clean as we are approaching September, the Clean- Up month.