Exchanging garbage for incentives

Feb 04, 2007

IF you thought garbage was useless, think again. Kawempe-based environmental NGO, Envirocare Initiative, has started a project that gives communities incentives in exchange for polythene bags and plastic garbage.

By Rehema Aanyu

IF you thought garbage was useless, think again. Kawempe-based environmental NGO, Envirocare Initiative, has started a project that gives communities incentives in exchange for polythene bags and plastic garbage.

An environmental campaign dubbed ‘I care-take care’, gives incentives like sugar, soap, vaseline, salt, paraffin, cooking oil, toothpaste and household products.

Envirocare Initiative is a grass root implementation partner of the National Environment Management Authority and Nile Basin Initiative, which was initiated in 2005.

Freddy Ntege Lubwama, the project coordinator, says they aim at sensitising and training people on issues concerning good waste disposal and management.
“Due to the hazardous littering of waste in our environment, there was an urgent need to manage the environment through sensitisation and training people in practical environment management skills,” he adds.

Focusing on the current situation in Uganda, environmental degradation is steadily increasing due to the overwhelming disposal of environmentally harmful agents.

“Seventy percent of these agents are polythene and plastic waste, which contain dangerous chemicals like polyethylene.

“Polyethylene is dangerous to the environment because it contains deadly chemicals like ethanol, zinc and lead,” Ntege says.

While launching the ‘Keep Kampala clean’ campaign recently, Kampala Mayor Nasser Ssebagala said: “We need the support of the community and the Government in order to manage garbage.”
The New Vision on March 18, 2006, reported that Uganda spends £1b on polythene materials annually.

According to the American-based plastic/polythene council, 80% of groceries in the world are packed in plastic bags.

In Uganda, 98% of the groceries and merchandise are packed in plastic or polyethylene bags and containers.
“We started working with Kampala division local leaders as a community initiative to sensitise people on the dangers of poor solid disposal,” Ntege explains.

He adds that they started in Kawempe division because compared to other divisions like Makindye, Nakawa, Rubaga and Kampala Central, Kawempe is the most densely populated suburb of Kampala and is greatly affected by poor garbage management.

The people who volunteer to collect the garbage are given safety uniforms such as rubber boots, gloves, nose masks and aprons to protect them from infections.
Kawempe division LC3 chairman Nasser Takuba recently said the division is littered with garbage.

“When Envirocare approached us with the proposal to involve the community in collecting garbage, we welcomed the idea because people need to be taught good garbage disposal habits,” he added.
Grace Namayanja, a resident involved in the campaign, says the scheme has empowered her with knowledge on environmental management.

“On top of keeping the environment clean, I get household products,” she says. Envirocare Initiative sensitises, mobilises and trains 12 groups comprising 20 to 24 members on safe ways of disposing of household waste such as polythene and plastic.

The initiative has garbage collection centres in Kyebando central zone, Kawempe Ttula zone, Kawempe Kiiza zone and Kawempe Lugoba zone, where polythene and plastic garbage commonly referred to as ‘lots’ are collected every first day of the month.

The NGO partners with companies such as Delight Uganda, Movit and Mukwano Industries, which provide the incentives. The garbage is thereafter transported to Envirocare’s six-acre recycle plant at Bwerenga on Entebbe Road.

Ntege says they intend to manufacture products like plastic roofing sheets, electric conduits and water tanks from the plastic garbage. “It is everyone’s role to ensure that we live in a good and pollution free environment,” he adds.
Ntege has called upon the Government and stakeholders to secure the environment and keep it clean.

“Everyone is a stakeholder when it comes to keeping and protecting the environment. A healthy environment means that everyone is healthy, so we need to join hands to preserve our environment,” Ntege asserts.

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