Permanent secretary in the ministry of environment and tourism, Boatametse Modukanele has said there is need to shift cultural attitude towards waste disposal and recycling, as many still view waste as an unavoidable by-product rather than a resource that can be repurposed.
Modukanele said this during the official opening of the Inaugural Sustainable Recycling and Waste Management Summit that was held in Kasane recently. He noted that in Botswana, waste management is a daily concern, with urbanisation and population growth leading to mounting waste production.
“According to Botswana National Waste Management Strategy, the country generates approximately 1.4 million tons of waste annually, a staggering figure that grows by 3% each year. Much of this waste ends up in landfills, posing serious environmental and health threats,” he revealed.
Modukanele warned that Botswana’s landfills are not simply repositories for trash but are ticking time bombs of pollution, generating methane gas, leaching harmful chemicals into soil and waterways, and also contributing to public health crises. He stated that in recent years, they have made strides in waste collection and management but said recycling rates however remains low.
The permanent secretary added that the country also faces some challenges that include limited infrastructure, insufficient public awareness and the complexities of managing waste in both urban and rural settings. He noted that cities are growing at an unprecedented rate as such urbanization brings with it increased waste generation, often outpacing the existing waste management systems.
“We see this in Gaborone and other urban centers where infrastructure struggles to keep up. While we have made strides in waste collection, our recycling infrastructure remains underdeveloped. A lot of waste materials that could be recycled end up in landfills due to a lack of facilities and public awareness,” he stressed.
Modukanele indicated that a significant portion of waste management in Botswana is handled by informal waste collectors. He noted that while their contributions are invaluable, the sector however often lacks the support and resources necessary for effective waste management. According to Modukanele, sustainable recycling is not merely a choice but a necessity adding that it is everyone’s responsibility to adopt practices that minimise waste and maximise resource recovery.
“Recycling conserves natural resources, reduces energy consumption, and lowers greenhouse gas emissions. It is a crucial component of the circular economy, where materials are kept in use for as long as possible,” he emphasised.
He further emphasised the need for both the government and private sector to work together and come up with solutions to waste management.
The summit which was organised by Rolink Noble Health (Pty) Ltd in partnership with ministry of environment and tourism was held under the theme ‘transforming waste into opportunities.’
Rolink Noble Health (Pty) Ltd representative, Oatametse Otlhomile explained that the summit was meant to create a platform for stakeholders across sectors to collaborate and share best practices in sustainable waste management and recycling. He added that the event also aimed at discussing and identifying innovative technologies and approaches that can transform waste into economically valuable resources.
