MONDAY November 18, 2024
By Patty Magubira
The Tranquility News Reporter, Tanzania
Tourism players in the Tanzania’s coastal belt and southern tourism circuit have unanimously agreed to phase out single use plastic in their bid to promote sustainable tourism practices in the industry.
They have also urged the government to consider imposing a ban elsewhere, arguing that recycling is not a lasting solution for pollution of the environment.
“Plastic though might appear cheaper, is very expensive to the environment and lives,” observed Hotels Association of Tanzania Board member Malcolm Ryen.
The investor in Lake Manze and Ndonya River camps in Nyerere and Ruaha national parks, respectively, said another option was for the government to heavily tax single use plastic, saying the move would promote reuse of products made of alternative materials such as aluminium.
“Almost everyone was complaining over the ban imposed on single use plastic bags few years ago, but we adapted barely few weeks later,” recalled Ryen, adding that workers were being exposed to microplastic in the recycling process.
Ryen is among captains and technocrats in tourism industry gathered in Dar es Salaam recently for a two-day tourism summit.
High on the summit’s agenda was finding ways of sustainably unlocking the potential of Tanzania’s blue and green economies.
EnviroSasa Managing Director Salma Mwako said her programme would in February next year launch a Sera initiative aimed at supporting groups that were making environment-friendly bags for them to compete with big plastic bags making companies.
“We are also producing a Kiswahili documentary on ‘why environment’ for ordinary people to understand the need for turning green,” she said.
Mwako called on the government and other players to invest in innovation in a bid to obtain bottles and other products that will replace those made of plastic.
“Unfortunately, there are insufficient incentives to innovate water dispensers and paper bags, among others,” she said, stressing that investing in green would also bring about carbon credit funds.
Managing Director of Kinasi Limited Peter Byrne said brewers recollecting empty bottles without affecting the price of beer was evidence that replacing plastic with glass was viable.
He, however, cautioned that the challenge of plastic being politically, financially and technically motivated, should not be tackled emotionally.
“The industry needs a task force to jointly work with government bodies to tackle the challenge,” he suggested.
Technical Consultant on Decentralised Solid Waste Management in East Africa Wilyhard Shishikaye said tourism generated a large amount of single use plastic waste, clogging disposal systems and polluting the environments.
“Eight million tonnes of plastic waste pollutes the ocean every year,” said Shishikaye, who doubles as Nipe Fagio’s Zero Waste Project Coordinator.
Nipe Fagio, a non-governmental organisation founded in 2013, applies a three-prong strategy comprising data, policy, and action to drive systematic change in Tanzania and East Africa.
Shishikaye said food was an often-overlooked type of waste in the tourism and hospitality industry, accounting for about 9 per cent of global food waste every year.
Estimates of the World Bank Group on Tanzania’s 2019 Country Environment Analysis shows barely 40 per cent of households in Dar es Salaam have access to waste collection, with 70 per cent of the population living in unplanned settlements.
A neighbourhood in Dar es Salaam produces 38,663 kilograms of waste a month, 30,635 kilograms, equivalent to 79.2 per cent, being organic waste, 2,720 kilograms, equivalent to 7.08 per cent, recyclable waste, 4,023 kilograms, equivalent to 10.4 per cent, hazardous domestic waste, and 1,285 kilograms, equivalent to 3.32 per cent, residual waste.
“Improper disposal of sewage and other toxic chemicals by the tourism industry pollutes our waterways and oceans,” Shishikaye said.
He proposed that waste audits be carried out to determine the amount, ingredients and quantity, sources, and suitable destinations, be it landfills or compost.
A waste separation scheme to destinations opened circular economic opportunities, said Shishikaye, highlighting the need for devising sustainable waste management policies at the destination.
“Establish Best Waste Practices at destinations, including reduce, reuse, recycle, compost and proper final disposal,” he stressed.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism had organised the ambitious summit in partnership with the Tourism Confederation of Tanzania and the EnviroSasa.
Tourism Confederation of Tanzania CEO Lathifa Sykes said the summit aimed at stimulating dialogue, action, and partnerships, essential for fostering sustainable growth in the tourism industry, with a dual focus on marine (Blue) and terrestrial (Green) conservation efforts.
Themed Sustainable Policy and Investment Directions for Marine and Terrestrial, the summit hosted a select group of 100 participants to ensure a concentrated and impactful exchange of ideas.
In attendance also were high-ranking experts from the President’s Office, Planning Commission, Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Ministry of Finance, Tanzania Revenue Authority, Tanzania Investment Center, and leaders from Coast RegionΩ
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The Tranquility News Reporter/Sub Editor, Tanzania
Patty Magubira is an experienced environmental and business editor whose career started at the Tanzania's state-owned newspaper - The Daily News. He is a man of perfection. Aided by his extensive training as a community forestry expert before joining Tanzania School of Journalism. Magubira had successfully held various key posts in newsrooms, giving him an unmatched connections in media fraternity. Having worked as a bureau chief in Arusha and Mwanza, he managed to build a team work, boosting sales to the highest level ever. He was then promoted to a sub-editor after completing a training in Nairobi, Kenya. His incredible experience, critical thinking and exposure are critical to the quality of any media outlet.
