Lafarge Zambia Plc enhances waste management

 

By NDUBI MVULA, Lusaka

LAST week, Local Government and Housing Minister Vincent Mwale announced that his ministry is expected to issue a Statutory Instrument (SI) on solid waste management with plans to creating a company with a mandate that will handle issues of garbage.

Mr Mwale announced yesterday that the SI should put in place guidelines in the handling of all waste to curb the trend of indiscriminate waste disposal by individuals, households and business entities.

This should be taken as a serious wake-up call.

A wake up call, not only for the local authorities in the country but for individuals who value the aspect of a clean and healthy environment.

To this extent, some organisations or companies have taken up the task in response to Government’s in sofaras waste management is concerned.

 Lafarge Zambia Plc is one such company that has taken up the challenge. And the company Communications and Corporate Affairs Manager Glenda-Masebe-Kamalata explains why the cement firm had decided to take waste management.

The project is called Geocycle.

She says Lafarge Zambia Plc is part of the LafargeHolcim, a leading global building materials and solutions company in the world.

Ms Masebe-Kamalata says the world’s challenges, in terms of resources, nature and people, require a global and coordinated effort.

“That is why LafargeHolcim has implemented a sustainable strategy aimed at contributing to the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

She says the company is committed to implementing a waste management programme in Zambia in line with the lafargeHolicm Geocycle function.

She further says the firm has created an integrated waste management plant that will be used to provide alternative raw materials and alternative fuel for cement manufacture as well as enhance the environment management of the community.

The Geocycle project is LafargeHolcim’s waste management component which has been in existence for the last two decades in more than 61 countries worldwide, Zambia inclusive.

The initiative started in 2017after a realization that waste management in Zambia is challenge for Municipalities and Government.

“Geocycle aims to contribute to effectively improving the quality of life of the members of our workforce, their families and the communities we operate in. A clean and healthier future that humanity can realize by minimising and repurposing waste remains priority,” she said.

On how the project will benefit the company and the surrounding areas, Ms Masebe-Kamalata says the social and environmental challenges the world is facing are more critical than ever.

She says the newly adopted United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on Climate (COP21) have created a new framework for action for everyone, including regulators, companies and citizens.

“This is the reason Lafarge Zambia Plc has embraced the Geocycle project in a bid to manage waste t in the country as whole,” she said adding “Lafarge has also lined up strategies of partnering with the local councils in managing waste and this has reached advanced stages.”

She explains that one of the strategies will include processing waste which will contribute to cleaner environment in the communities hence providing a lasting solution to waste management which has been a huge challenge for the community.

In addition, Ms Masebe-Kamalata says the neighbouring communities will benefit from the collaboration with the local councils in proactively coming up with waste management resolutions.

And that in ensuring that there is alternative use of fuel in the cement production process, the Geocycle project will offer a more sustainable solution.

Ms Masebe-Kamalata says while the Geocycle project will facilitate the waste management in collaboration with local councils and the communities, the systems put in by the local authority will govern the entire process in that the communities will still be mandated to pay their disposal fee for the collection of their waste to the designated waste collection companies.

“Lafarge Zambia Plc has made a commitment to create shared and sustainable value for all stakeholders. This means, Lafarge Zambia Plc shall act as a responsible partner with all its stakeholders to contribute to effectively improving the quality of life of the members of the communities around its operations,” she said.

She says Lafarge Zambia Plc will make contributions related to the environment that include clean-up campaigns, tree planting, other environment related voluntary programs projects such as those for the preservation of nature.

Geocycle project will process with both domestic (Municiple solid waste) and industrial waste and this will be done after careful analysis of the constituents of each waste stream.