County urges residents to sort their trash into dry and organic

A tourist takes photos of plastic waste collected along the beach in Mombasa. [Elvis Ogina, Standard] Mombasa County Government has decried poor handling of waste and failure by residents to take responsibility for the trash they generate. County acting chief officer for Environment and director for Climate Change Abdulsalam Omar said it was difficult to manage waste because residents do not sort what they generate at source. Speaking during the July free plastic challenge at the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) innovation centre in Mombasa recently, Omar said the county produces 708 tonnes of garbage daily with 60 per cent being organised waste mainly dumped at the Mwakirunge site. "We produce mainly organic waste but it lacks value because we are unable to use it to produce biogas. It is usually dumped at Mwakirunge. We collect garbage for free," he said. "We spend a lot of money because those who generate waste do not separate it and are not responsible for their own waste," Mr Omar said. He noted that only five percent of the dry waste, which includes plastics, was being recovered and recycled. He said there was a need to create value for the 40 per cent dry waste in the county through segregation at the source which also makes management of waste cheaper. French ambassador representative Arnaud Dupuis said poor management of waste contributed to climate change warning that plastics were killing marine life such as turtles. "We are prepared to support civil society organisations to sensitise communities on the need to manage waste including plastics as this affects climate change," Mr Dupuis said. "In Watamu, turtles have succumbed after being choked by plastics," he said. Mr Dupuis said they have been supporting initiatives among pastoralists in Marsabit County to mitigate climate change and improve livelihoods. "We have organised training for women to enhance economic activities in the county. We have also supported beekeeping there," he said. He urged the forum to conduct more sensitisation and public awareness campaigns on the dangers of plastic pollution and also on waste management in the country. "We are willing and ready to rally our support behind civil society organisations in the war on the effects of climate change," he said. KRCS's head of training and capacity building Ms Monica Orero said the humanitarian body views waste as a resource and not a burden in the country and called for its prudent management and recycling to address environmental degradation. She said KRCS has partnered with county governments to ensure a plastic-free environment. "We view waste not so much of a burden but a resource. Environmental degradation is responsible for climate change," she said. She noted that in some areas at the Coast, mangroves cannot grow properly because of pollution and hence the need by civil societies and communities to address the menace.

County urges residents to sort their trash into dry and organic

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