Turning Waste into Wealth

Waste disposal is an immediate call that requires quick action or else the future generation stands at a stake of facing dire consequences like biodiversity waste, depletion of resources and global warming, air contamination, water contamination, etc.

From observation in every heap of waste and those carelessly thrown all over it is clear that most often than not, you will notice the composition contains; pieces of clothes, plastic wrappers, medicine bottles, liquor bottles, and diapers.

This waste usually finds its way to the rivers and water bodies hence causing blockage and remitting harmful substances to these water bodies which in one way or the other find their way back to homes for human consumption.

It’s always easy to note the brands littering the environment from the labels of the used products and so this rally’s for a call to all manufacturing companies to join in the fight of ensuring healthy living.

It is a good thing to note that a good percentage of households have a plan on disposal and have garbage collectors who pick up their wastes at a fee. However, there is a concern with those who can’t afford to have their waste collected at a fee. If all the stakeholders involved can have collection points in the estates, especially in slums which different points for different types of waste.

Each household can be tasked with the responsibility of ensuring they sort out their waste e.g., separating dry waste from wet waste before dumping it at designated points. Parents also need to create awareness and sensitization at the household level. They need to instil proper habits in the children and guide the young generation on how to dispose of their waste e.g. snacks wrappers. This is the only way of fighting this problem from the bottom. By inculcating the good practices children will grow up upholding good morals and conscious of how they take care of the environment.

More often than not people overlook the fact that waste can always be turned into, beautiful pieces and having them disposed of in designated areas, it could make work easier for people who are hands-on with production and value addition easier time accessing the material.

At wiseHub, we continue to work with women enterprises across the region and fostering partnerships to promote women-led startups or businesses that focus on turning wastes into wealth. We work with women who use waste products, such as pieces of clothes, used bottles, vehicle tires to make out products they sell in the market to earn a living. Over time, pollution has led to the lake being emersed in water hyacinth. Among the women we work with, some harvest water hyacinth and papyrus reeds to make hand-woven home products and decor. This is a good practice that not only helps with the reduction of the weed in the lake but offers the women an alternative source of livelihood.

We also promote activities like using sacks that could be thrown into the environment to plant vegetables in the kitchen garden to boost food productions. Bootles which form the majority of waste in water bodies and dry land can also be filled with soil and used to make hanging gardens to produce spices that only require small spaces with minimal maintenance.

Through joint effort and innovation, the environment will be a better place for all of us.