Schools commended for going green

GOTHATAONE MOENG
Staff Writer | Tuesday October 25, 2011 00:00

The schools are Masa, Itumeleng and Boikhutso primary schools as well as Bokamoso JSS.  The schools are part of a pilot project in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD), Department of Waste Management and Pollution Control (DWMPC) as well as recyclers Collect-a-Can and Recycle It Botswana.

School heads for the four schools signed an agreement with DWMPC and recyclers to facilitate the removal of waste from the schools, and then recycle it thereafter.

Speaking at the launch of the pilot project, director of DWMPC Jimmy Opelo said the project would encourage students to 'bin it, and bin it correctly.' He said it was important that waste management and environmental care-taking was taken up by students, as this will mean that they will grow up with an awareness of the need to take care of the planet.  He said this can influence them into segregating waste in their own homes.

Further, he encouraged children to only throw out what is of absolutely no use to anyone, saying everything else can be recycled and re-used. He said if the pilot project is successful in the four schools, then it will be taken to other schools in the country.

Waste is usually segregated into 'dry' and 'wet' waste. The importance of segregating waste is to make it easier for the recycling process, and to mitigate the hazardous effects of waste.

At the schools, waste will be segregated thus: there will be a bin each for cardboard, newspapers, white office paper, glass bottles, plastic water bottles, cans, clear and mixed plastic as well as plastic juice and milk bottles.

The objectives of the pilot project are to influence behaviour change through education at grassroots, encourage waste segregation and to promote recycling of waste.

Private sector partners and sponsors of the project are Turnstar Holdings, Sefalana, Debswana and Spar.