People should understand that communities generate waste; the bigger and more economically advanced the community, the bigger and more varied the waste.
For instance, in highly populated areas like KM, waste is generated from many sources: from residences, industrial waste, from hospitals and other medical facilities and even from technological advancement (e-waste).
That is why it important to encourage KMC and their fleet of waste trucks for a job welldone. The provision of these waste trucks has and would go a long way in improving the environmental condition of the municipality.
The Kanifing Municipality has done it part. But what is the role of its inhabitants in making sure that waste generated from our homes are managed and collected safely?
This calls for more sensitization on effective waste management.
We thus call on communities to understand that ‘if we continue in the pattern of unhygienic waste disposal and ill waste management’, the next generation will have to address waste from millions of synthetic fabrics and apparel and the list goes on.
These are not biodegradable, and as they are photo-degrade over hundreds of years they release chemicals into the environment- both in the earth and air.
Other hazardous products that end up in our waste stream include batteries, automotive fluids; and harmful household waste, such as oil-based paints, pesticides, and automotive fluids. Batteries for instance, contain lead that can leak into the soil. Lead causes reduced learning, hyper-activity and behavioural problems, including violence. Toxins from waste can pollute our soil and surface and ground waters. Soil contamination also poses human health risks to children playing on dumps.
Depending on location, dumps can keep water from draining which may lead to flooding. Illegal dumps can also pose a fire risk; disrupt wildlife habitats, and present physical hazards to human health.
Municipalities should be cognizant of these facts and above all know that the purpose of any development process is to achieve a decent society; decent not only in terms of material wellbeing of the people, but their physical wellbeing as well.
