Bulawayo (New Ziana) – All waste pickers in Bulawayo will soon be registered to ensure their operations are orderly and viable.
This came out in a consultative meeting to review the proposed Bulawayo solid waste management by-laws which were enacted in 1970 and are no longer relevant to modern trends.
A waste picker is a person who salvages reusable or recyclable materials thrown away by others to sell or for personal use.
There are millions of waste pickers worldwide, predominantly in developing countries, and in post-industrial countries as well.
Various forms of waste picking have been practiced since antiquity, but modern traditions of waste picking took root during the industrial revolution in the nineteenth century.
Over the past half-century, waste picking has expanded vastly in the developing world due to urbanisation, waste dumping by developed countries, and the global waste trade.
The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) partnered with Mercy Corps, a global non-governmental, humanitarian aid organisation, to develop an inclusive and effective solid waste management by-law to cater for the needs of the local authority.
Unpacking key highlights of the proposed by-laws, BCC cleansing superintendent, Nkanyiso Ndlovu said it will outline the role of waste pickers.
“In the current by-laws, there is no clear provision for waste pickers, but from the consultations that we have had, we are seeing people are saying let us register these waste pickers, this is very critical so that we regulate their activities,” he said.
Ndlovu said when the waste pickers are registered, the local authority will designate them to deal with different types of waste and ensure their operations are viable.
“At the same time, we want to make sure they are environmentally friendly, they don’t bring any other negative issues to what they are doing,” he said.
He said the new by-laws will see businesses operating in the Central Business District being required to maintain cleanliness within their premises and to keep the space outside their premises free from litter and any unsightly objects.
“The new by-laws will see businesses maintaining the areas surrounding their premises. Also, what we are going to see in these by-laws is the requirement for everyone to make sure that they will clean an area surrounding their premises. All this is to ensure that Bulawayo gains its status as the cleanest city in the region,” said Ndlovu.
Under the by-laws, the local authority will include the provision of extended producer responsibilities where the producer, importer, retailer and trader will be responsible for waste management, he explained.
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