News / Local
Bulawayo residents should protect their environment: EMA
27 Mar 2011 at 20:33hrs | Views
The Environmental Management Authority (EMA) education and publicity officer, Mildred Matunga on Saturday said the Bulawayo residents should protect the environment for present and future generations.
The commemoration this year was held under the theme: "Environmental Accountability on Waste – Play your Part".
"Residents should also sort out waste at home. Items that are biodegradable should be put aside so that when they decompose they can be used in gardens as manure. Plastic should be put on its own".
She said her organisation, working in tandem with others, has installed large litter bins in Nkulumane and Bellevue shopping malls as well as the old Bus Terminus in Makokoba suburb.
"Residents should throw litter into those bins. People should assist us in waste management. The message we are putting across is that people should reduce, reuse and recycle waste," she said.
EMA is also carrying out an awareness campaign aimed at discouraging people from using plastic bags that are less than 30 micrometers, she said.
"Such bags are not biodegradable and they easily tear. In fact, they are a menace to the environment," she said. "People should rather go green by using ecobags. This will greatly reduce incidents of having plastic bags littering our streets."
Matunga said residents should desist from burning litter as it was illegal.
"Besides being illegal, the practice pollutes the air and leads to depletion of the ozone layer which in turn causes climate change," she said.
Most residents have resorted to burning litter as the city council rarely collects refuse.
The commemoration this year was held under the theme: "Environmental Accountability on Waste – Play your Part".
"Residents should also sort out waste at home. Items that are biodegradable should be put aside so that when they decompose they can be used in gardens as manure. Plastic should be put on its own".
She said her organisation, working in tandem with others, has installed large litter bins in Nkulumane and Bellevue shopping malls as well as the old Bus Terminus in Makokoba suburb.
"Residents should throw litter into those bins. People should assist us in waste management. The message we are putting across is that people should reduce, reuse and recycle waste," she said.
"Such bags are not biodegradable and they easily tear. In fact, they are a menace to the environment," she said. "People should rather go green by using ecobags. This will greatly reduce incidents of having plastic bags littering our streets."
Matunga said residents should desist from burning litter as it was illegal.
"Besides being illegal, the practice pollutes the air and leads to depletion of the ozone layer which in turn causes climate change," she said.
Most residents have resorted to burning litter as the city council rarely collects refuse.
Source - NewsDay
