The Harare city council and a local non-governmental organization, Environment Africa, have started establishing rubbish sorting centers as the city steps up efforts to keep the city clean and regain its sunshine status.
In remarks during belated World Environment Day commemorations, council’s environmental management committee chairman, Chris Mbanga, said the sorting centers for recycling materials will go a long way in saving resources and keeping the environment clean.
Mbanga said companies, especially those involved in the manufacturing of beverages to promote recycling of cans and plastic bottles to curb littering in the city.
Under the rubbish sorting centers scheme, which have been successfully implemented in Greendale and Avondale suburbs, Environment Africa will provide the big garbage containers and staff while council will allocate land for these projects.
Environment Africa public relations officer, Sandra Gobvu, said the idea is to encourages residents to take their waste to the centers where it will be sorted into four recyclables -- plastic, cans, bottles and paper.
Once that has been done, he said, companies that want to pick waste can collect it at sorting centers.
She adds, in the long run, they expect the companies that recycle waste to pay for the sorted waste, saying the focus now is to raise awareness among residents that there is money in waste.
These projects are part of the many efforts the local authority has taken to keep the city clean.
Other programs include the Catch Them Young, in which council educates children in all primary schools in the city on the need to take care of the environment, save water and anti-litter awareness.
Council has also trained hundreds of anti-litter monitors that move around residential areas educating residents on the need to properly manage their waste by disposing it in garbage cans and saving water.
A resident, who is involved in the anti-litter campaign, Leonard Matipano of Warren Park, told Studio 7 their efforts have gone a long way in keeping the suburb clean.
Today’s event was organized by the city council in conjunction with Environment Africa, Africa Lotto, Environmental Management Agency and Zimparks.
World Environment Day is commemorated worldwide on June 5th for people to realize their responsibility to care for the planet Earth, to do something for the environment and to take action.
This years’ theme by the United Nations Environment Program was, Seven Billion. One Planet. Consume with Care.
