by Innocent Mujeri
People living in rural areas have been challenged to recycle waste in a bid to spruce up their areas in line with the national clean-up campaign and also create employment for themselves, The Harare Post can report.
This came out today, at the third clean-up campaign for the year 2020 which was led by His Excellency President Emerson Mnangagwa at Mupandawana in Gutu District.
In his keynote address, the President urged people to view waste as money making projects and urged them to recycle it.
The President said recycling of waste is beneficial to the people, their livestock as well as the environment.
Locals who spoke to this publication hailed the President’s call to recycle waste and said they will put it in practice soon.
“We are going to put it into practice. We have seen plastics, plastic and glass bottles and papers messing the environment, obliviously that it is money that is lying idle. From today we will start collecting all the garbage for recycling purposes”, said one Talitha Chipezvero.
Mr. Edmore Gomo of Mupandawana commended the idea of recycling waste and vowed to put it into practice.
“When waste is dumped on the environment it can cause diseases. We are in the middle of the rainy season and irresponsible waste disposal can result in clogging of drains. I hope the authorities will set up waste collection sites so that people can sell litter,” said Gomo.
Another Gutu resident who spoke to The Harare Post said he hopes that companies that recycle waste material will set base in Gutu to enable them to easily access the market.
An official from the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) who spoke to this publication on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press said recycling of waste is important as it reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators.
He went further to say recycling of waste materials conserves natural resources such as timber, water and minerals, increases economic security by tapping a domestic source of materials, prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials, saves energy, supports manufacturing and conserves valuable resources.
The source further said recycling of waste also helps create jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries in Zimbabwe.
The clean-up, which is the 15th since the launch of the national programme by President Mnangagwa in 2018, was also attended by Minister of Mines and Mining Development Winston Chitando and Minister of State for Masvingo Province Ezra Chadzamira among other senior government officials.
The nation is embracing the National Environment Cleaning Day, with more corporates and individuals participating each month.
