HARARE - A local home study kit supplying firm has joined hands with the Environmental Management Agency (Ema) in the fight against litter.
Clairfield Industries (Pvt) Ltd, trading as Unique Education Power — an organisation that focuses on innovative solutions to national challenges and child education has come up with the initiative, which involves Ema and several stakeholders.
The campaign called Spot-and-Pick a brand promotion, is to be entered mainly by school children, and will help promote litter management.
“Spot and Pick a brand promotion will set in motion change of the trend of such exercises (clean-up campaigns) as we introduce a sustainable method of managing waste through promoting a culture in households and the community at large, of collecting waste for a reward rather than punishment as stated in Section 83 of the Environmental Management Act,” Hebert Zisengwe, Unique Education Power sales and marketing manager said.
He said the clean-up campaign involves the corporate world and demands that companies sponsor an approved home study package as a prize for a minimum of one hundred participants per province annually.
Steady Kangata, the Ema spokesperson, confirmed to the Daily News that his organisation was working with Unique Power Education in the eradication of litter, which has become a problem needing several corporates’ intervention.
“What we do as Ema is that we uphold stakeholder participation. Unique Education Power came on board and we are looking forward to working with them,” Kangata said.
He said his organisation welcomes several initiatives that are brought by individuals and corporates, adding this uplifts “environmental stewardship”.
Kangata said his company was fully in support of clean-up campaigns and strategies, brought by companies such as Unique Education Power.
Zisengwe said his company identified an environmental challenge which can be tackled through the use of school children, while they get something in return.
He further said the initiative will go a long way in alleviating litter problems in the city centre, which has impacted negatively on the environment and the drainage system.
Zisengwe said his company’s target is to bring 50 corporates on board to ensure the smooth management of the programme, which is set to be launched on March 17.
While, litter has adversely affected the environment, Kangata said the agency had also introduced another initiative called “cradle to the grave”.
This initiative would assist in ensuring litter is reduced in the city centre by making corporates do a follow up on their products, to the time of their disposal, a factor supported by Zisengwe in his company’s campaign.