There is a pressing need for more effective and efficient waste management as an integral part to the achievement of sustainable development. The challenges of waste management are complex and there are no easy solutions. However, we need to truly commit ourselves to this process and all of us have to start working together toward achieving concrete change.
Youth mobilization in advocacy efforts for implementation of sustainable policies is an asset to be utilized. Governments need to adopt and enable implementation of Zero-Waste Plans. A cradle-to-cradle approach must be encouraged, including through redesigning of products, extending the product life, recycling and reusing end products as inputs for other parts of the life cycle. In addition, it is necessary to invest in waste management education and partnership building among all relevant actors.
Furthermore, I consider it imperative that there is a total (and enforced) ban on the dumping of nuclear and ewaste which includes effective treatment of hazardous waste and ban or minimization of its transboundary
movement. In an ideal world, I would love to see the Implementation of the Basel Convention, full implementation of the Bamako Convention, implementation of Waste prevention and minimization policies. I will advocate for this when I go to New York in May.
It is scary to consider the impact of waste. If you think about the children who scavenge in the developing world are exposed to the negative effects of hazardous waste. Poverty and the lack of viable income earning opportunities have trapped these children in a dependency cycle where they are reliant on scavenging. This is a scary reality that we are all responsible for but doing nothing about.
No comments:
Post a Comment