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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Chronicle Reporter
THE Government has challenged communities to come up with recycling initiatives to improve waste management in line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).

In a statement to mark this month’s national clean up exercise. the Minister of Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry, Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu, said adopting good waste management practices was the best strategy to cover up for clean-up exercises that have been suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said the national clean up exercise remained critical.

As part of efforts to solve waste management challenges in the country President Mnangagwa in 2018 declared every first Friday of each calendar month a national clean-up day in which members of the public come together and clean their surroundings be it places of work, educational, religious, recreational and residential premises

The exercise is undertaken between 8am and 10am.

Due to the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic, organised mass cleaning exercises have been suspended.

“This month’s programme is focused on the promotion of recycling initiatives in towns, rural service centres, growth points and cities in line with our National Development Strategy 1. I’m urging all citizens to get value from post-consumer waste by recovering waste materials for recycling.

“The implementation of the recycling initiatives as clearly stated in the National Development Strategy 1 is the way to go; by simply adopting best practices in waste management which include, waste prevention, reduction, recycling, energy recovery, repurposing; and active involvement and participation of all citizens and business entities.

“During this national clean-up day, citizens are once again encouraged to segregate waste as they are cleaning and send recyclable materials for recycling or to those takers doing door to door collections. Segregated waste at household level is supposed to be taken to waste transfer stations in your localities or linking up with community-based organisations who are into recycling,” he said.

Minister Ndlovu said the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) had since compiled a recyclers directory to assist citizens in promoting initiatives and synergies at local level.

He said waste segregation and recovery of recyclable materials presented sustainable livelihood opportunities for communities. Minister Ndlovu said the exercise also reduces the amount of waste to be collected by municipalities for disposal at landfills thereby cutting on time and transport; as well as environmental pollution.

“The national clean-up programme remains critical amid a rise in Covid-19 cases countrywide. We cannot all come out in numbers to remove the waste from our surroundings because of the pandemic but we need to remember we are still generating waste hence the need to act responsibly by adopting best practices in waste management in our localities.

“I’m calling upon all stakeholders and the public to fully participate in achieving sustainable environmental management. There is need to put in place the necessary infrastructure which is needed for waste separation to be possible. May I appeal to all local authorities to assist in setting aside sites in areas under their jurisdiction for community recycling initiatives,” he said.

Minister Ndlovu said the demarcated zones will present citizens who are separating waste at source with areas for disposing the recyclable waste materials. — @DubeMatutu