By Teboho Serutla
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through the Lesotho Accelerator Lab (AccLab) has teamed with the ministry of tourism, environment and culture in the fight against the environmental and economic impact of plastic by implementing a project on “strengthening partnership on sustainable plastic life-cycle management in Lesotho.”
UNDP’s statement released for the private sector on May 4 said the objectives of the meeting included sharing of plastic waste proposal from the AccLab and the ministry of tourism, identifying solutions being implemented by the private sector and sharing insights of plastic levy.
At this meeting the country’s waste situation was also brought into debate as dumping on roadsides, market places, absence of waste management and cleaning up campaigns also featured.
The participants also noted that there was only one authorized dumping site located in Maseru while urging for introduction of levy on plastic.
The laboratory proposes a holding of campaigns aimed at reducing use of plastic while creating awareness about the pollution caused by the item.
It has also proposed a behavioural change on the use of retail plastic bags.
It was decided that more meetings be organized in the future with a view to ending plastic pollution.
