Solid waste management is a must

Students from “Lycée du Saint Esprit”, Gikungu Secondary School“and Lycée Saint Gabriel”, members of the environment clubs have recently participated in a debate about the solid waste sustainable management.-By Lorraine Josiane Manishatse

Students, member s of Environment Clubs during the debate session?©Iwacu

On 22nd November 2013, a debate about solid waste sustainable management was organized by students from northern secondary schools at the” Lycée Saint Esprit”. The debate was supervised by Jacques Nkengurutse an activist in Environment and ACVE Vice-Chairman. According to the latter, the objective of that debate is to sensitize students about the good management of solid waste. “The article 5 of water code advises to adopt production technologies which do not cause environment pollution,” he explains. He invites Burundians to avoid scattering waste. “The use of dumpsters is one important good move to environment protection,” he highlights. Moreover, the sorting of waste is very important to promote recycling while what we call waste can be a kind of richness in the society.” Biodegradable waste should be used as manure, livestock food, coal, whereas some non biodegradable wastes may be recycled and reused,” indicates Nkengurutse. According to the Environmentalist, in the 1990s, at Buyenzi, waste iron and steel caused an environmental problem because people didn’t know that they could be recycled, but now the problem is over. It is the same case as plastic and glass waste when today one plastic and glass waste cost BIF 50 and 100 respectively.

“We will sensitize others…”

Mugisha Ly Christian, the Environment Club Chairman at “Lycée du Saint Esprit” indicates that he didn’t know to distinguish biodegradable from non biodegradable waste.” Thanks to that debate, I am now aware of everybody’s role in the environment protection,” he gladly says.
He promises from that day on, he will reduce the use of plastic sachets and sensitize his home about the good habit of using dumpsters and waste sorting. The view is shared by Mugisha Kelly Daniella, Environment Club Vice-Chairperson at Gikungu Secondary School. She states that from that debate she has learned the good way of managing solid waste.” I will advise other students not to scatter waste anymore,” she indicates.
After the debate session, students from “Lycée du Saint Esprit”, members of the Environment Club, have displayed posters on the doors of their classrooms showing the appropriate use of dumpsters. They have also dug a compost bin to store organic waste so that they become manure for agriculture use.

The government must be involved

For Toussaint Mbonayo, a young lady studying at Gikungu, the effective waste management is not possible without the government’s support. She asks Burundi government to avail recycling bins following the waste present in public places; in addition, the government should sensitize people about the importance and use of those dumpsters. Finally, Olivier Bakana from Gikungu, the government should ban imported plastic bags and urge Burundians to use cardboards or paper bags for protecting the environment. “We ask Burundi government to take severe measures to garbage collection companies or associations for the respect of the waste sorting because without their contribution citizens’ effort would be useless “he mentions.