Will use of ‘kaveera’ be banned?
Apr 03, 2005
WHILE polythene bags are good for packing, they are a grave environmental concern. But investors have put an economic and political face on the issue, making the issues involved irrelevant. <b>Gerald Tenywa</b> talked to government officials and NGOs about whether NEMA’s new proposal to curb waste
WHILE polythene bags are good for packing, they are a grave environmental concern. But investors have put an economic and political face on the issue, making the issues involved irrelevant. Gerald Tenywa talked to government officials and NGOs about whether NEMA’s new proposal to curb waste of plastic bags would work.
HER children are down with malaria. But Sophie Nasanga, a mother of three, does not let this get in her way as she prepares fruit juice, which she packs in plastic bags for sale.
Nasanga, like many other people in Kalerwe slum, rarely think about the problems caused by plastic bags. This has far reaching implications.
The bags, when discarded, can fill with rainwater offering breeding grounds for malaria-carrying mosquitoes, a NEMA report says. The report says polythene take between 20 to 1,000 years to break down.
The new proposal entitled, “Polythylene (Kaveera) waste management: Options for Uganda,†compiled by National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), says poor disposal is a major concern.
While the report is silent on the amounts consumed in different parts of the country, the countryside, which is important for agriculture is also getting chocked. The plastic bags interfere with filtration of water, which tampers with soil fertility.
Littered plastic bags have created unsightly appearances in the trading centres.
“We were served meals from plastic bags at a function in the village recently,†says a resident of Iganga, in eastern Uganda.
She says the organisers of village events fear that their guests can disappear with plates and opt for plastic bags.
But it is the urban centres such as Kampala where the backlashes are most felt. Because of the poor disposal, plastic bags end up blocking drainage channels, causing floods, says Banada Nswa, a waste management expert.
In Bwaise, a sprawling slum attached to Kalerwe, floods swept and killed a child after plastic waste bags blocked the drainage system last week.
However, the plastic bags still have many secret admirers even after causing such havoc.
In Uganda, almost every product bought, the food eaten and many of the liquids drunk come packed in plastic bags, the NEMA report reveals. The report says plastic bags are popular because they are light, portable, strong and cheap. They are considered more convenient and hygienic for transporting food and goods.
Over the last five years, the use of plastic bags has been increasing with local production growing, but still low and only caters for approximately 10% to 20% of the local consumption, says Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA).
However, the report says the current demand has shot up to 30 million units per year. About 800 tonnes of kaveera are locally produced yearly, UMA says.
Dr. Aryamanya Mugisha, head of NEMA, says the bulk of the plastic bags are produced by BMK industries, WALCO industries, Maritime Investments and Uganda Garments Ltd. Others include Koze International, Nakangu Enterprises and TIC Plastics. NEMA says this calls for urgent intervention.
A ban on light carrier bags and a heavy levy on thicker ones are among the proposals to reduce the use of kaveera and provide funds for alternative carriers such as cotton and sisal bags.
“We have not realised as much impact as we anticipated when the tax was imposed,†says Mugisha. This is the reason why they are pushing for a ban on the thin bags and heavier taxes on the thick ones.
He says the taxes imposed about two years ago only increased prices from sh50 to sh100, which is not prohibitive.
Ironically, Maggie Kigozi, head of Uganda Investment Authority, (UIA) wants the taxes reduced, according to press reports. She says the plastic industries offer employment and that manufacturers have invested heavily in the industry.
The findings indicate that the efforts to streamline waste management system right from source reduction to collection, sorting, reusing, recycling and reducing are still lacking.
How sure are we that NEMA’s proposal will be taken up? asks Godber Tumushabe, head of Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE), a local think tank.
“This is an emergency situation. Plastic bags are destroying the soil,†says Tumushabe.
Immediate action is needed, yet a decade has passed without any step taken against plastic bags, Tumushabe says.
He says investors have been lobbying politicians to frustrate NEMA, which has the mandate to oversee environment management in the last decade.
“It is common for people who are afraid of taking decision to hide behind policies to thwart public pressure,†he says.
The loophole in NEMA’s proposal is that the taxes collected from plastic bags would not be re-invested into recycling plastic bags or seeking options.
Mugisha says this is treated as revenue and funds different activities. He concedes that an environment fund is necessary.
Gayaza High School’s environmental club under the stewardship of Emmanuel Ngerageze, a teacher, introduced the wise use of garbage by relying on reducing and recycling. But when the project was introduced to the nearby trading centre, the residents asked: “Ffe tufunira wa?†meaning how do we benefit? This calls for incentives and public awareness to teach people about the long-term dangers of polythene bags.
HER children are down with malaria. But Sophie Nasanga, a mother of three, does not let this get in her way as she prepares fruit juice, which she packs in plastic bags for sale.
Nasanga, like many other people in Kalerwe slum, rarely think about the problems caused by plastic bags. This has far reaching implications.
The bags, when discarded, can fill with rainwater offering breeding grounds for malaria-carrying mosquitoes, a NEMA report says. The report says polythene take between 20 to 1,000 years to break down.
The new proposal entitled, “Polythylene (Kaveera) waste management: Options for Uganda,†compiled by National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), says poor disposal is a major concern.
While the report is silent on the amounts consumed in different parts of the country, the countryside, which is important for agriculture is also getting chocked. The plastic bags interfere with filtration of water, which tampers with soil fertility.
Littered plastic bags have created unsightly appearances in the trading centres.
“We were served meals from plastic bags at a function in the village recently,†says a resident of Iganga, in eastern Uganda.
She says the organisers of village events fear that their guests can disappear with plates and opt for plastic bags.
But it is the urban centres such as Kampala where the backlashes are most felt. Because of the poor disposal, plastic bags end up blocking drainage channels, causing floods, says Banada Nswa, a waste management expert.
In Bwaise, a sprawling slum attached to Kalerwe, floods swept and killed a child after plastic waste bags blocked the drainage system last week.
However, the plastic bags still have many secret admirers even after causing such havoc.
In Uganda, almost every product bought, the food eaten and many of the liquids drunk come packed in plastic bags, the NEMA report reveals. The report says plastic bags are popular because they are light, portable, strong and cheap. They are considered more convenient and hygienic for transporting food and goods.
Over the last five years, the use of plastic bags has been increasing with local production growing, but still low and only caters for approximately 10% to 20% of the local consumption, says Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA).
However, the report says the current demand has shot up to 30 million units per year. About 800 tonnes of kaveera are locally produced yearly, UMA says.
Dr. Aryamanya Mugisha, head of NEMA, says the bulk of the plastic bags are produced by BMK industries, WALCO industries, Maritime Investments and Uganda Garments Ltd. Others include Koze International, Nakangu Enterprises and TIC Plastics. NEMA says this calls for urgent intervention.
A ban on light carrier bags and a heavy levy on thicker ones are among the proposals to reduce the use of kaveera and provide funds for alternative carriers such as cotton and sisal bags.
“We have not realised as much impact as we anticipated when the tax was imposed,†says Mugisha. This is the reason why they are pushing for a ban on the thin bags and heavier taxes on the thick ones.
He says the taxes imposed about two years ago only increased prices from sh50 to sh100, which is not prohibitive.
Ironically, Maggie Kigozi, head of Uganda Investment Authority, (UIA) wants the taxes reduced, according to press reports. She says the plastic industries offer employment and that manufacturers have invested heavily in the industry.
The findings indicate that the efforts to streamline waste management system right from source reduction to collection, sorting, reusing, recycling and reducing are still lacking.
How sure are we that NEMA’s proposal will be taken up? asks Godber Tumushabe, head of Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE), a local think tank.
“This is an emergency situation. Plastic bags are destroying the soil,†says Tumushabe.
Immediate action is needed, yet a decade has passed without any step taken against plastic bags, Tumushabe says.
He says investors have been lobbying politicians to frustrate NEMA, which has the mandate to oversee environment management in the last decade.
“It is common for people who are afraid of taking decision to hide behind policies to thwart public pressure,†he says.
The loophole in NEMA’s proposal is that the taxes collected from plastic bags would not be re-invested into recycling plastic bags or seeking options.
Mugisha says this is treated as revenue and funds different activities. He concedes that an environment fund is necessary.
Gayaza High School’s environmental club under the stewardship of Emmanuel Ngerageze, a teacher, introduced the wise use of garbage by relying on reducing and recycling. But when the project was introduced to the nearby trading centre, the residents asked: “Ffe tufunira wa?†meaning how do we benefit? This calls for incentives and public awareness to teach people about the long-term dangers of polythene bags.