Solid waste normally termed as “garbage” or “trash” has always been an inevitable by-product of human activity. It is a special kind of public resource which is not fixed to any physical space (e.g. streets, sidewalks or parks) but is a moveable, material resource which urban dwellers tend to replenish, rather than deplete.
Increasing population, rapid urbanization and the improving living standards of people have significantly exacerbated the amount of solid waste generated in urban areas across Zimbabwe. The generation rate is budding faster than nature’s ability to absorb the waste resulting in the amassing of solid waste at illegal dumpsites.
Recent estimates revealed that solid waste generated worldwide surpasses 2 billion tons per year, which is a potential threat to the environment. At a national level, Zimbabwe generates an average of 2.5 million tons of solid waste (residential and industrial combined) per year whilst Harare City has a generation rate of 0.56kg/capita/day. Solid waste is a precursor of a number of societal as well as ecological problems, ranging from clogged drainage and sewers, waterborne diseases like typhoid, cholera and diarrhoea, increased upper respiratory diseases from open burning of the garbage, to the release of greenhouse gases, especially methane into the atmosphere which leads to global warming. Solid waste management in Zimbabwe, like any other country in the world, has always been a responsibility of local authorities but the picture is changing with the recognition that they, on their own are not capable of effectively and efficiently managing waste.
Littering and garbage disposal by vendors has been a grim for the once called Sunshine City. Street vendors sell goods and provide services at affordable prices to the public in the Central Business District of Harare. They sell fresh fruits and vegetables, food, garments and crafts, flower garlands, locks and keys, electronics, building materials, auto parts and more. In carrying out their activities, street vendors create masses of waste which need to be managed daily.
It is widely acknowledged that although producers of goods and materials have a role to play in reducing waste, the general public, in the way that we consume and utilize products, have a key role in delivering sustainable waste management.
Solid waste collection and transportation done by means of the municipality trucks is easier said than done, difficult and expensive. The City Council is riddled with operational inefficiencies of municipal Solid Waste services and management. Furthermore, the municipality is lacking fuel and enough vehicles to collect and transport solid waste from grocery stores, illegal vendors, residential areas, hospitals and clinics, food industries, manufacturing sites, processing industries, motor industry as well as the construction industry at regular intervals. From residential areas, the City Fathers come to collect waste once a week, one bag or bin per household. As a result of these inadequacies, to avoid pilling of waste, households and enterprises, have now resorted to secretly dumping their waste at undesignated areas usually by roadsides, open spaces, rivers and bridges creating nuisance in these areas. These areas turn out to be breeding places for vermin and other vectors of communicable diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery and typhoid. Uncollected waste usually ends up in open drainage canals and on the banks or surface water streams. During the rainy season, waste dumped blocks the drains, which results in flooding and stagnant water, with consequent risk of mosquito breeding.
Collection and disposal systems have proved to be inefficient and are not environmentally-friendly, respectively. Most of the solid waste deposited in open dumps and these dumpsites require proper equipment for their effective operation. Good examples are Pomona and Golden Quarry Dumpsites sites in Harare which have turn out to be toxic and exceeded their carrying capacity of containing urban solid waste. Properly engineered waste disposal landfills are required essentially to protect public health and preserve key environmental resources such as ground water, surface water, soil fertility and air quality.
The majority of people are unaware that we have a severe but preventable solid waste problem in Harare and throughout the country. Due to the impending solid waste management challenges bedevilling Harare City as well as those responsible for managing waste. This calls for best practices and innovative approaches in tackling solid waste problems.
