Refuse management

Refuse management

Waste management is still a big threat in Uganda.. But did you know that waste is useful?!

Improper waste disposal is unfortunately a common problem in Uganda, both in rural and urban areas. It causes a number of negative consequences, such as breeding of vectors (e.g. mosquitoes) which carry diseases, water/ground contamination, fire outbreaks, road blockages, foul smells, unsightly environment and general environmental degradation, which in turn contribute to global warming, among others. At the same time this causes economic loss at household, local, national and international levels in term of expenditure for disease treatment, disinfestations, and efforts for cleaning and improving the environment. Yet this situation is not being adequately addressed, as there is absolutely little support from both the local and national government, as well as from communities at large to tackle the problem.
Unfortunately there is no clear policy about waste management in the country, or, if some regulations are present, they are not being enforced as they should. Also people are still quite ignorant about it and are not properly guided on waste management.

This situation is producing gaps in waste management in Uganda - our beloved country! - which is rich of a number of environmental resources which should be properly protected for the well-being of its people! Especially in rural areas, communities often rely on a delicate balance of natural resources and they should be advised on how to better protect them.

Waste can be of your benefits, manage it well and use it!
Despite the problems caused by waste management, we often forget that indeed waste can be used for other purposes bringing about benefits. Recycling waste, which is not a common practice in Uganda, is a very useful activity, applied in several countries worldwide. This leads to reduction on the volume of waste produces and the re-use of waste for products like fertilizers, bio gas, paper, metal and many others for the benefit of the community.

Waste can be well recycled when the following steps are observed:

• Carrying out waste sampling and analysis

• Ensure waste segregation, like biodegradable and non biodegradable or infectious and non infectious wastes which will give ways for proper storage. 
• Ensure proper treatment and distribution for re-use
•  Apply proper waste collection, storage and disposal

Ways forward to improve on the situation

Waste management involves some technicalities but it also includes principles of general knowledge on environmental protection, which can be easily put in practice by the people, when they are properly informed. Unfortunately at the national and local levels, not enough attention is given to this problem and communities, local authorities and government continue to keep the issue of waste management out of their priorities. This has made the magnitude of the problem to increase, resulting in the many problems mentioned before.

However, besides promoting waste recycling, there are other different ways to address the situation at the general level: 

• Conducting mass sensitization of the communities to change their attitude of indiscriminate disposal of waste through behaviour change. They can only change when they know the disadvantages of indiscriminate disposal of waste and the benefits of safe waste management and recycling. .. Let’s try it, it has worked in other countries!

• Building the capacities and knowledge of the public health staff especially in the local districts by providing them with more technical advises on waste management, e.g. the correct steps in waste recycling and the benefits of the recycled products for the communities, so that they can be fully equipped to conduct behavioural change campaigns... Knowledge is power!

• Increasing the number of public health staff at district level in order to strengthen the enforcement of public health acts and improve the entire management of waste in the local community.. If we are more, we can do a better job!
• Strengthening and implementing the policy on waste management, which needs intervention from both the technical, policy and enforcement officers.. everyone is needed!

Now, a question!

How can we improve on this situation in other ways?  And can you give us other examples of recycling waste or un-used stuff?  Share your ideas!

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The photo below shows waste damped in the middle of town (the market area) in Pader town in North Uganda.