Waste management project

• To transform the waste collection system in urban environment.
• To create a safe and conducive environment for waste collection in an urban environment
• To educate local people on how to take care of the environment through waste segregation
• To develop a circle of network of stakeholders that is local community, local government, private sector, and media societies for the implementation of the waste segregation system.
• To put waste segregation into practice and creating a reuse, reduce and a recycle waste oriented communities.
• To develop a monitoring and evaluation systems that checks if the work is done correctly and the correct work is done.

1. Waste management plan

Introduction
Various clean up campaigns have been conducted around the country’s urban suburbs but it seems
they have failed to fight the continuous mounting waste garbage. Illegal dumping have become a
serious challenge in urban cities and towns in Zimbabwe, garbage is seen pilling up on or beside streets
corners, main roads, streets lights, tunnels and at designated bus terminuses causing abnormal
functions of the infrastructure. Most street corners have of late become dumping places. Even shops
in urban areas have no proper garbage disposal mechanism that has seen waste pilling up at the back
the shops thus posing danger to both environment and the people around. Dogs and other people
scavenge the rubbish heap for some valuable items while rodents and snakes have made the places
their homes. There is need to look for a mechanism that can reduce the mounting and pilling up of
garbage in urban suburbs.
In recent years, the United Nations member states met in Brazilian capital city Rio de Janeiro, they
decided to launch a process of developing a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs) which will
build upon the millennium development goals and converge with the post 2015 development agenda.
Looking on the subject of matter, among the set goals, the waste management has been a concern as
it is not properly managed hence the goal number 11 says “make the cities and human settlement
inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”. From the set goal number 11, it is being expected that by
2020, the government should play a vital role in reducing the adverse per capital environmental
impact of the cities and towns, including by paying attention to air quality, municipal and other waste
management.

Objectives of Waste Segregation project
 To transform the waste collection system in urban environment.
 To create a safe and conducive environment for waste collection in an urban environment
 To educate local people on how to take care of the environment through waste segregation
 To develop a circle of network of stakeholders that is local community, local government,
private sector, and media societies for the implementation of the waste segregation system.
 To put waste segregation into practice and creating a reuse, reduce and a recycle waste
oriented communities.
 To develop a monitoring and evaluation systems that checks if the work is done correctly and
the correct work is done.

2. Statement of the problem
There is less attention paid to existing waste disposal in urban centres as the garbage of recyclables is
mounting and pilling in urban street corners and on the infrastructure thus posing dysfunctionality of
the urban infrastructure and also jeopardising human health and environment.


Constitutional Instruments on Waste Management
The Environment Management Act (Chapter 20:7) postulates that every person has the right to clean
and safe environment that is not harmful to health. Statutory Instrument 6 of 2007 Environment
Management (Effluent and Solid Waste disposal Regulations) and Statutory Instrument 98 of
2000(Plastic Bottles and Plastic Packaging Regulations) under Environment Management Act
prohibits:
 The discharge of disposal of any waste in a manner that causes pollution to the environment
or ill health to any person and the transportation of waste except under a licence issued by
Environment Management Agency ( EMA).
 It also gives details of who should apply for a waste licence this includes waste transportation
within Zimbabwe operators of the waste disposal sites or plants and to generators of the
hazardous wastes.



Waste Segregation
The key for waste management – Waste segregation
What is waste segregation?
Waste segregation means the separation of the entire waste generated either in the open spaces of
central business districts or home, different waste groups according to the specific treatment and
disposal requirements.

The principles of waste segregation
Every place of the waste generation should have the necessary equipment for the kind of wastes that
are generated at that place. Garbage such as plastic bags, plastic bottles should be placed in their
respective bins. Segregation and identification instruction should be placed at each waste collection
point. The segregation should be done at the source for example taking the garbage from the offices
and place it to its respective labelled bin. The segregated wastes should not be mixed during the
transport and storage. If the hazardous and non-hazardous wastes are mixed together that means the
waste is classified as hazardous wastes.

3. Importance of Waste Segregation
Since it has been noted that the current waste disposal is posing some environmental challenges and
health of the people, waste segregation is a solution to the challenges. Here are the importance of the
waste segregation:
 It is the only way to increase the recycling rate
 It makes works of the waste sorters easier and more efficient and makes the waste collection
more convenient for the collecting companies.
 Reduces the chances of disease outbreaks if properly segregated because hazardous waste
can cause serious health problems such as rite off batteries, electronics and liquid chemicals
can cause serious health problems to both human beings, animals and the environment as
well.
 Many parts of the waste are valuable thus can be reused for other purposes for example
plastic bottles for repacking other non-consumable and consumable liquids, so by segregating
one is supporting the selection of the valuable materials.


The picture shows an uncollected garbage with the amounts of recyclable materials. (The picture taken
in Bindura Town -19 July 2015).

4. The picture shows the mixture of garbage collected in one bin. (The picture taken in Harare CBD -18
July 2015)

Picture of labelled bins (downloaded from the internet)
Waste segregation as it involves the separation of waste s generated, here the project will involves
the establishment of well labelled garbage bins around the town as shown in the picture above, the
green with a label glass, glass waste will be collected in that bin, yellow bin with a label plastic, plastic
wastes will be collected in that bin same applies to the next bins. If the project is well implemented, it
may supports the participation of informal sector who are engaged in the collection of recyclable
materials and improves the behaviour of scavengers who through away the waste in search of
recyclable materials.

5. The idea of Waste Segregation is going to be a paradigm shift in transforming the current waste
management system in the country as the initiative promotes the reuse, recycle and reduce waste
oriented environment and ultimately a society free from man-made catastrophes and diseases.


The target community for the waste segregation
A small town such as Bindura is a situated in Mashonaland Central Province North East of Harare.
Waste management in Bindura town is poor, as waste is seeing pilling up in street corners, backyards
of shops as such nobody is paying attention to the mounting garbage. Although waste collection is
one of the mandate of the town municipality, the work load is beyond control and therefore there is
need to embark on waste segregation system that will solve the problem of pilling of garbage and
make it easier for waste collection in the central business district, and recreational sites, residential
and industrial sites.

How the Waste segregation system is going to work
The waste segregation system is going to involve an interaction between the community and service
providers. Community members are going to be educated about the new system of waste
management through an awareness campaign. The education facility is going to involve the use of
media and cell phones where by the system will be disseminated as an advert and a message on the
cell phone through Econet. People will always be reminded to throw the garbage in its correct labelled
bin. Waste Collectors will have set a time tabled schedule for the collection of recyclable garbage.
Bottling companies may be allowed to collect recyclable bottles and containers from the bins.

Components of the activities
 Waste segregation at the source
 Waste to be recycled
 Waste to be disposed of at the disposal sites
Target activities
 Implementation of the source of waste segregation
 Distribution of garbage bins in the communities
 Environmental education and public relation activities

6. Key issues on the Implementation plan
Since Environmental Management Agency is the sole organisation with the Ministry of Environment,
Water and Climate has the mandate of making sure that environment is clean. It is important that the
team shall seek permission to establish well labelled waste bins in the town. The responsible team
shall also have to liaise with the town municipality to give them the permission and show them places
to place the bins. Monitoring and Evaluation system is going to be put in place that will be responsible
checking whether the garbage is being collected into the correct bin and also take an immediate
action if something is done in a wrong manner. Stakeholders such as individuals, local government,
non-governmental organisations, private sector organisations and informal sector have a key role to
play in the implementation plan of the waste segregation project.
Tab 1: shows the stakeholders and their roles to play in the Waste segregation project

Stakeholders

Roles
Local Governance ( town municipalities)



Donor Communities




Ministry of Environment and Water and
Climate/Environmental Management Agency







Private Sector






Local Community





Media


They have to arrange required tools and
infrastructure for the implementation of the
waste segregation project.

They can provide financial aid and technical
assistance to promote the waste segregation
initiative by supporting the demonstration of
the system at the implementation stage.

The two organisation have to provide an
appropriate platform in line with the needs and
demands of the people in the community in
supporting the idea of waste segregation by
enacting policies with objectives of reduce,
reuse and recycle of the waste.



Private sector organisations have a role to play
in the reducing, reusing and recycling of the
waste that is to invest their resources in the
form of infrastructure, tools for waste
management.


Do source segregation at household level and
also to cooperate with the town municipalities
in carrying out the waste segregation



Coverage in the print, and electronic
advertisement of the Waste segregation
activities, organise mass awareness campaigns.

7. NGOs sector






Act as an advocate for waste segregation
through awareness and securing community
participation. It also act as a bridge in covering
the ground-based activities such as behaviour
change in source segregation.





PRE-LAUNCH ACTIVITIES
As the programme is going to be implemented, the team is planning to conduct pre-launch activities
in the community which are as follows:-
 Road show/Matches in collaboration with drama majorettes from different schools, global
leaders etc.
 Debates
 Concert which will include Show us your talent in (waste segregation)
 Ruffle tickets
The reason of having pre-launch activities is to raise awareness of the upcoming event. This method
is widely used as a community mobilisation strategy for people to finally come to the event besides
the silent communication messages that would have been sent through posters, fliers, and ward
councillors.



The pictures above shows the team of young people who are working on educating the community
on waste segregation. These young people are Bindura University of Sience Education students.