Norwegian expert stresses need on developing modern waste disposal methods
Even after the huge garbage mountain in Meethotamulla collapsed destroying 145 homes and killing at least 32 people, Sri Lankans are still not concerned on following proper management of litter in their households which will reduce the garbage dumps in the country.
According to the Ministry of Environment, there are 58 unmanaged waste dumps in the Western Province alone, most of which are almost filled to capacity.
Under these circumstances there is an urgent need to create awareness on handling of waste in Sri Lankan households in a more modern way, Norwegian renewable energy expert Stein Inge Haaland, Chairman of the board/Styrets leder and Embla Software Innovation (Pvt) Ltd told the Business Times.
Recycling or just sorting one’s own garbage should not require anyone to be a rocket scientist. But even so, in every society it takes a good 10 years with a very hard focus from the government to change people’s behaviours on their own junk, he revealed.
The waste management hierarchies–reduce, reuse, and recycle should be popularised among local households creating awareness on their responsibility to protect environment even after the Meethotamulla tragedy, he pointed out.
“Reduce needless consumption and the generation of waste, reuse any item that can be reused or give it to a person or charity that can reuse it and recycle whatever discards remain if you can and only dispose what you must,” he added.
“It is essential to keep in mind that recycling is the least preferred option. Reducing the generation of waste so there is no waste left to recycle would be the ideal,” he pointed out.
“Every household should be given training of how to make their own compost to grow flowers or vegetables. If a household is not utilizing the compost themselves, they could give it away to others. For those that don’t want to make compost for their own use, each household should be given a green compost collector,” he stressed.
Sri Lanka’s population is approximately 21 million which generates 2.3 million solid waste annually (6,400 tonnes of solid waste per day according to Ministry of Environment).
“The government needs to spend the next 10 years teaching the population of how to recycle and why garbage is not just waste but a value. It all starts in each individual home,” he said adding that if each and every family and household is not a part of this, it will never work out.