Officials of Homa Bay Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Network want the government to streamline the recycling of waste products to promote environmental conservation initiatives.
The officials, led by Willis Omulo and Helen Ouma, said that there was a need to establish central plastics dumping sites to ease their collection and create jobs for the youth.
They urged the county government of Homa Bay to set aside designated areas for plastic waste disposal in each municipality, enabling all plastic waste to be collected conveniently.
Omulo said creating a central dumping site in each municipality will enable those who want to recycle the waste to access it easily.
He said some young people are ready to recycle plastic into useful products. But the main challenge they face is difficulties in getting the plastic.
He said centralization of dumping sites in the county will enable many people to recycle them into useful products to create job opportunities.
“We want the dumping sites to be centralized. This will enable our young people to recycle them, leading to job creation,” Omulo said.
On her part Ms Ouma said it was improper to burn plastic wastes or dump them in the soils.
“The plastic can be reused or recycled to enhance job creation but this can only be achieved if we have properly designated plastic dumping sites,” she said.
They made the remarks during a press briefing in Homa Bay town.
Ouma expressed concerns over the widespread plastic pollution in Homa Bay County.
She noted that the plastic pollution had interfered with Lake Victoria’s ecosystem, adding that the decline in fish stocks in the lake resulted from widespread pollution.
“Plastics interfere with fish breeding zones in the lake due to pollution and this has negatively impacted on fish population,” Ouma said.
She told environmental stakeholders to put measures in place for eradicating plastic pollution.
“Let our county government and companies packaging their goods in plastics to put strategies for proper disposal of plastics,” the official said.
She urged residents to participate actively in environmental conservation to prevent pollution caused by plastic.
“We appeal to residents of this county to avoid discarding plastic haphazardly. Let everyone know that environmental conservation is a role of everyone,” Ouma said.
By Davis Langat
