World leaders are in Sharm El Sheik Egypt at a conference that seeks to achieve the world’s collective climate goals. Even so, environmental conservation is something that is not necessarily made a priority in most rural areas even though every household does produce waste.
People in rural areas burn their waste or dump it away from homes where it gets washed by rains into rivers. Most of this waste is plastic and some other non biodegradable waste. In this illegally dumped waste disposable nappies are the most common waste to be found. Research shows that disposable nappies can take up to 150 years to decompose.
Disposable nappies are being used on a daily basis by many households . These disposable nappies are made of a plastic outer layer and a layer of super absorbent chemicals which even when put on fire do not burn completely.
Disposable nappies can take up to 150 years to decompose.
Community members of Joe Slovo say they do not have garbage trucks that collect waste and so they are left with no choice but to dump their waste just anywhere.
“We used to have a river that was full, it made the area beautiful and it was a water source for us. When we build or wash clothes we would use that water but now that river now is drying out and it’s flow is being blocked by disposable nappies that are being thrown into this river.” Said a community member.
A mother that uses disposable nappies said. “I buy nappies for my son every month sometimes even twice in one month. Every time my baby is done with his nappies I go dump them by the river where everyone else dumps them. I have no choice because even if I burn them they don’t burn out and my yard becomes dirty. I’m not the only mother in the area, there are hundreds of children that use nappies in this township alone and all of us pollute the Manzamnyama river and we do not have any other option.” Said the young lady.
Changing the global climate should start with a home, then a community, a province then the whole country.
