LCC proposes new law to deal with solid waste management

The Lusaka City Council (LCC) has recommended for the introduction of a law that will compel manufactures and importers of goods to take responsibility for the entire life span of their products in an effort to improve on solid waste management in the city.

Lusaka Town Clerk Alex Mwansa said this in a report submitted to the Parliamentary Committee on Local Government and Housing chaired by Chadiza Central Member of Parliament Allan Mbewe in Lusaka this week.

Mr. Mwansa explains that the local authority has made a request to Parliament to enact a law that will compel manufactures and importers to ensure that they are made responsible for the entire cycle of their products by taking care of their waste until final disposal.

The Town Clerk has explained that currently there is no legislation in Zambia that compels manufactures or importers to be responsible for disposing off their products due to lack of an extended producer responsibility (EPR) law.

Mr. Mwansa says this in turn results in huge amounts of waste packaging materials constituting the bulk of waste that litters our environment, resulting in blockage of drains and unsightliness among other issues.

He says it is therefore recommended that a law be put in place to compel manufacturers and importers to take responsibility for the entire life span of their products.

He has also recommended that a law be put in place that will make it possible to attach waste collection user fees to other utilities such as water or electricity.

The Town Clerk says this will not only result in increasing the number of people paying for waste collection services, but it will also reduce on the amount required to paid by individual waste producers.

He says the Lusaka City Council is mandated by law under the Local Government (Solid Waste Management) regulations, Statutory Instrument number 100 of 2011 and the Solid Waste Management by-laws of 2004, to provide solid waste management services to residents in its area of jurisdiction.

Mr. Mwansa furthermore explains that cost recovery is one of the major challenges facing councils in Zambia in the area of solid waste management.

He says while Statutory Instrument number 100 of 2011 obliges waste producers to use and pay for solid waste management services, it requires waste managers to follow waste producers for payments.

This is contained in statement made available to QFM News by LCC Assistant Public Relations Manager Brenda Katongola.