Lincoln International School kids protest ‘buveera’ on environment
Nov 03, 2002
SIR— I am writing to you to express my deep concern over the increasing health hazards our capital city Kampala has been experiencing lately
SIR— I am writing to you to express my deep concern over the increasing health hazards our capital city Kampala has been experiencing lately.
I am afraid that the plastic bags (buveera) people use are harming our environment. They are blocking the sewage routes, and making our city look dirty. People burn these plastic bags and they release toxic fumes. This is not good for the environment. As a result of this we should charge the people at least a fine of sh200 so that they remember to dispose of their own bags in a way that is friendly to our environment. Kampala City Council should avail litterbins everywhere in the city. Huge shopping centres like Shoprite should give out bags made out of paper, cloth or maybe straw.
I would greatly appreciate it if your newspaper could dedicate this article for public awareness: the population of Kampala should realise the destructive effect the continued disposal of these plastic bags would have on their health.
Mohammed Abdulkadir
Lincoln International
School of Uganda
****
SIR— Uganda is such a beautiful country, but it is being spoiled by the careless discarding of buveera (plastic polythene bags). They litter our streets like rats and they fly over our heads like ugly birds. This is a menace; yet buveera will not disappear by magic; it requires all of our co-operation.
Shopkeepers could play a significant role in tackling this issue. They could ask the customers whether they wanted a kaveera or not. That would be the first step.
Also larger shops such as Shoprite could put a small charge on plastic bags, so that people would think twice before receiving unnecessary buveera.
People could also use woven bags. They are biodegradable and they last for a longer period of time.
All I ask is that people show some love and care for their amazing country by doing the above. This would make Uganda a far more stunning and cleaner country.
Isabel Pike
Lincoln International School
****
SIR— I am a thirteen-year-old boy in eighth grade. My class and I have recently learned in our English lesson how bad plastic bags (buveera) were for the environment. A plastic bag is non-biodegradable. This is the reason why I have written a letter to The New Vision.
Why are sewers and gutters always clogged, increasing the risks of flooding? Why are all the plants dying? All of those are because of those ugly and useless plastic bags.
I would like all shopkeepers to start using paper bags, which are not harmful to the environment, rather than plastic bags, which get easily extended and thrown away after their first usage. Paper bags can be used many times and it could create lots of new jobs. People could also use a bag many times and bring their own when they come to shop, e.g. take a straw bag with you. If people still ask for buveera when there are paper bags, all the shops should put
a fee of sh200 for each plastic bag so people start thinking about it. I hope something
will be done.
Laurent Piana
Lincoln International School
****
SIR— We at Lincoln International School of Uganda have been looking at the plastic bag crisis. Plastic bags are so widely used in Uganda now that wherever you go there are plastic bags lying here and there. If we want our country to be beautiful once again, then we must stop people from just throwing plastic bags away.
Plastic bags can be used multiple times. If they get torn, they can be recycled to make new ones instead of creating a new layer of pollution. We can put a price on pollution. By that I mean put a price on plastic bags. It has worked in other countries. You could also introduce paper bags. Paper is not as anti-environmental as plastic; it is also cheaper. There are many more suggestions from us, but they are not included in this letter. I am only one of the many concerned citizens.
Akshay Agarwal
Lincoln International School
I am afraid that the plastic bags (buveera) people use are harming our environment. They are blocking the sewage routes, and making our city look dirty. People burn these plastic bags and they release toxic fumes. This is not good for the environment. As a result of this we should charge the people at least a fine of sh200 so that they remember to dispose of their own bags in a way that is friendly to our environment. Kampala City Council should avail litterbins everywhere in the city. Huge shopping centres like Shoprite should give out bags made out of paper, cloth or maybe straw.
I would greatly appreciate it if your newspaper could dedicate this article for public awareness: the population of Kampala should realise the destructive effect the continued disposal of these plastic bags would have on their health.
Mohammed Abdulkadir
Lincoln International
School of Uganda
****
SIR— Uganda is such a beautiful country, but it is being spoiled by the careless discarding of buveera (plastic polythene bags). They litter our streets like rats and they fly over our heads like ugly birds. This is a menace; yet buveera will not disappear by magic; it requires all of our co-operation.
Shopkeepers could play a significant role in tackling this issue. They could ask the customers whether they wanted a kaveera or not. That would be the first step.
Also larger shops such as Shoprite could put a small charge on plastic bags, so that people would think twice before receiving unnecessary buveera.
People could also use woven bags. They are biodegradable and they last for a longer period of time.
All I ask is that people show some love and care for their amazing country by doing the above. This would make Uganda a far more stunning and cleaner country.
Isabel Pike
Lincoln International School
****
SIR— I am a thirteen-year-old boy in eighth grade. My class and I have recently learned in our English lesson how bad plastic bags (buveera) were for the environment. A plastic bag is non-biodegradable. This is the reason why I have written a letter to The New Vision.
Why are sewers and gutters always clogged, increasing the risks of flooding? Why are all the plants dying? All of those are because of those ugly and useless plastic bags.
I would like all shopkeepers to start using paper bags, which are not harmful to the environment, rather than plastic bags, which get easily extended and thrown away after their first usage. Paper bags can be used many times and it could create lots of new jobs. People could also use a bag many times and bring their own when they come to shop, e.g. take a straw bag with you. If people still ask for buveera when there are paper bags, all the shops should put
a fee of sh200 for each plastic bag so people start thinking about it. I hope something
will be done.
Laurent Piana
Lincoln International School
****
SIR— We at Lincoln International School of Uganda have been looking at the plastic bag crisis. Plastic bags are so widely used in Uganda now that wherever you go there are plastic bags lying here and there. If we want our country to be beautiful once again, then we must stop people from just throwing plastic bags away.
Plastic bags can be used multiple times. If they get torn, they can be recycled to make new ones instead of creating a new layer of pollution. We can put a price on pollution. By that I mean put a price on plastic bags. It has worked in other countries. You could also introduce paper bags. Paper is not as anti-environmental as plastic; it is also cheaper. There are many more suggestions from us, but they are not included in this letter. I am only one of the many concerned citizens.
Akshay Agarwal
Lincoln International School