11 Sep 2023

The newly launched campaign dubbed ‘Own A Bin’ is expected to stimulate a culture of caring for the environment and good waste management

The campaign was launched by Good Hope District Council in Lorwana on Saturday themed; Well-kept Waste for Sustainable Environment Let’s Run it.

The event started off with a five to 20 kilometres marathon followed by a clean-up exercise.

Speaking at the launch, MP for Mmathethe/Molapowabojang, Dr Edwin Dikoloti applauded the council for coming up with the initiative, which he said was going to change the way people had been disposing waste.

Dr Dikoloti noted that combining the two activities was a good idea because they complemented each other, adding that a healthy body attuned with a clean healthy environment.

“The quality of our environment affects all of us no matter where we live. The environment is our home and if it is not clean and healthy we will not be healthy either,” he said.

He urged community members to keep garbage bins in their homes and ensure that waste was removed regularly so that it did not become a health risk.

He also implored them to work together to protect their environment and create a sustainable future.

Dr Dikoloti also encouraged them to see an opportunity in waste, saying they could benefit a lot from waste such as cans, bottles, plastics and worn-out tyres, among others.

He pleaded with the council authorities to also educate villagers on proper waste disposal methods and recycling of waste so that they did not waste material that could be reused. He further indicated that environmental pollution was not just a human concern as it profoundly affected livestock, wildlife and biodiversity.

“Most of Batswana farmers are making a loss due to measles when selling their cattle at Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) because their animals are not in a clean and safe environment,” he added.

For her part, the council’s senior internal auditor, Ms Onalenna Tshaila said the main objective of the event was to raise awareness on the causes and effects of improper waste management on climate change.

The event was also aimed at encouraging community members to practice proper waste disposal, suggesting that they could pay for their household waste to be collected for two years and get a waste receptacle for free.

Ms Tshaila said another aim was to encourage communities to change their mindset on handling of waste from households and tap into economic benefits of waste such as recycling reduce and reuse.

Furthermore said paying for the waste service would enable the council to perform its mandate. ENDS