Ugandans urged to embrace waste sorting ahead of National Cleaning Day

Vendors at Kulambiro market practicing waste sorting Kampala, Uganda | URN | The Ministry of Health has urged Ugandans to embrace waste sorting at the household and workplace level to reduce the amount of garbage sent to disposal sites ahead of the National Cleaning Day, held on the last Saturday of every month. During a waste sorting demonstration at Kulambiro Market in Nakawa West, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Diana Atwine, said Uganda still lagged behind other countries in proper waste management.

Atwine said during the inaugural National Cleaning Day, mainly in urban areas, residents generated large volumes of waste that had accumulated in homes before being brought out at once, creating challenges for collection and disposal. She urged residents to begin sorting waste at the point of generation and to adopt better waste-management practices. Residents were encouraged to separate plastics from other waste and sell them to recyclers instead of burning or dumping them.

Paper, glass and metal can also be collected separately for recycling. Atwine encouraged residents with compounds to establish compost pits where food waste, fruit peels and other organic materials can decompose naturally. People living in apartments were advised to engage waste collectors who can put sorted organic waste to uses such as animal feed.

Atwine strongly warned against burning plastics, saying the practice poses serious risks to human health and the environment. “We want you to make sure that if you have plastics, let them be taken for recycling. Atwine said, noting that fumes from burning plastics can contribute to respiratory problems and environmental pollution.

She also raised concerns about an increase in people suffering from lung-related problems at Mulago Hospital, attributing part of the increase to practices such as burning plastics, although the specific claim was not independently substantiated. She further cautioned against mixing potentially hazardous materials, including medicines, old computers and other electronic waste, with ordinary household rubbish. Meanwhile, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Director of Public Health, Dr.

Sarah Zalwango, highlighted digital platforms designed to connect residents with waste collectors. She said the Weyonje app and the Towa Uchafu na Nusu app, w…