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Zimbabwe Environment Agency Urges Councils to Ban Food Kaylites


Food kaylites have become an environmental hazard in Zimbabwe. (Photo: VOA)
Food kaylites have become an environmental hazard in Zimbabwe. (Photo: VOA)

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) is urging authorities to ban the use of kaylites as the Harare City Council and other municipalities countywide are failing to manage waste.

The failure by the Harare City Council and other municipalities nationwide to deal with litter has prompted the EMA to advocate for the banning of kaylites, which are used mainly when serving food in restaurants and at functions.

The piling up of garbage in several communities is of major concern to EMA, according to the organization's spokesperson Liberty Mugadza.

Mugadza said the use of kaylites and plastics by operators of food outlets were resulting in the increase of litter in Harare and other major towns and cities.

Cosmas Mudzingwa, who works with a local waste recycling company, echoed the same sentiments saying the use of kaylites should be prohibited.

A Harare-based chemist Jameson Muchakata, who also runs a canteen in the city's central business district, said kaylites may cause blockages of water pipes if they were not disposed of properly.
He added that burning kaylites after use may also cause several diseases like lung cancer.
At the same time, Interfresh general manager, Tawanda Rukuni, urged companies that use kaylites to work with local authorities in waste management to ensure a clean environment.
Meanwhile, the president of the Passengers Association of Zimbabwe, Tafadzwa George Goliati, said while his organization agrees that several commuters who use public transport were the most litter bugs, the banning of the use of kaylites would have a ripple effect on the local food industry as many food outlets are use them to pack serve food to consumers.

Goliati said many people have resorted to establishing backyard kitchens in the central business district as formal jobs are hard to come by owing to the poor performance of the national economy.

Studio 7 failed to get a comment from the Harare City Councilbut one of the city's councillor's, Hummy Mudzingwa, said kaylite importers should be taxed heavily while the revenue generated should be directed towards waste management in Harare and other local authorities.

Some health experts say the failure by many municipalities in major towns and cities to deal with waste was the major cause of an outbreak break of cholera that killed thousands of people a few years ago.

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