BY OWETHU DLAMINI
MBABANE- A circular economy for Eswatini!
Themed ‘Transitioning To A Circular Economy: Addressing The waste Management Nexus In Eswatini’ the Eswatini Environment Authority (EEA) is set to host a ‘Waste Indaba’ centred around addressing issues pertaining to environmental pollution and waste management. This will take place at the Sibane Sami Hotel on October 27, 2022.
According to the United Nations Environmental Protection Agency (UNEPA), a circular economy looks at keeping materials, products and services in circulation for as long possible. This is an important part of slowing climate change.
Prior to this event the EEA, with assistance from development partners, has embarked on and supported a number of educational campaigns and projects. This has included the workshop by Women Unlimited Eswatini on Eswatini Zero Plastic Contamination Initiative as well as the ‘Madlangemphisi Clean-up Campaign’, with hopes to mitigate the unhealthy waste practices in the country.
These unhealthy practices continue to affect the country at large and it is due to this reason that the EEA has partnered with Women Unlimited, GEF Small Grants Plastic initiative recipients and the Institute of Waste Management in Eswatini to host the ‘Waste Indaba’.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) states that the GEF Small Grunts Programme (SGP), was established in 1992 and looks to assisting communities, community-based organizations and other non-governmental groups. This is done through providing grants for projects in Biodiversity, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, Land Degradation and Sustainable Forest Management, International Waters and Chemicals.
During an interview with the EEA Environmental Information Officer, Belusile Mhlanga, she unpacked the theme of the event mentioning that it is set to address waste challenges in the country allowing discussions regarding moving towards a circular economy.
“If you notice, we still have a lot of waste challenges in the country, which is something that, we as an organisation, have tried to address through a project we have worked on previously with the UNDP which looked at creating livelihoods and solutions to waste problems.
“As the EEA, we are trying to explore the different approaches to phasing out ‘single use plastic bags’ in Eswatini, so our event will involve presentations that will explore the circular economy on waste management and opportunities that people can get when looking at waste management. We want to encourage people to start businesses through recycling waste and also educate people on different types of waste.
“Lastly we are looking to promote innovation on waste management and also explore the use of technology on waste management. We have people who use organic fertilisers from organic waste, so we want to help people look into these different options and how they can use waste for the better good,” said Mhlanga.
She continued to express how the country needed to move forward and how practice of waste management should be influenced.
“The event will also include exhibitions from the GEF grant receivers as they have also been working hard to facilitate change positive change in waste management. Presentations and panel discussions will allow interactions regarding pressing concerns on waste management between the people in attendance of this event,” she added.
When asked how this particular event will change the persisting unhealthy waste practices in the country, Mhlanga said that the EEA hoped that the event would provide solutions to concerns the public has had in the past.
“We hope that this event will provide solutions to concerns such as the ‘reduce plastic policy’ in Eswatini and also allow waste management stakeholders to interact,” she added.
