We need to cultivate a culture of recycling says Uncle Blux
By Daniel Chigundu
Upcoming Zimbabwean filmmaker and graphic designer Uncle Blux real name Tinomudaishe Muchirahondo has urged the country to consider cultivating a culture of recycling as a way of mitigating climate change and creating employment opportunities.
Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects that can be reused.
According to climate experts, recycling is one of the methods that helps keep carbon locked up for longer and out of the atmosphere.
Other methods to mitigate the devastating effects of climate change include the growing of trees and adopting clean energy such as solar as compared to thermal power.
Although recycling is not a new phenomenon in Zimbabwe, it is, however, happening at a slower pace than expected by climate watchdogs.
Currently, there are a lot of materials that are being thrown around at undesignated dumpsites in various suburbs across the country.
This uncollected garbage ends up polluting the environment by producing methane and other dangerous gases when they are degrading.
However, these materials can be given a new lease of life through recycling thereby reducing or minimising the amount or quantity of methane that is produced.
This prompted Uncle Blux to come up with a documentary titled ‘’Recycling Culture, A Step Towards Climate Change Mitigation’’ to make awareness about the need to cultivate a culture of recycling.
Speaking during Climate Fridays at Moto Republik where his documentary was being shown, Uncle Blux said Zimbabwe needs to do a lot of awareness campaigns on recycling.
‘’I think the major problem that we have is awareness especially if you look at other countries, they have already adopted recycling, the general culture that is why this documentary is about the general culture of recycling here in Zimbabwe because we wanted to look into the culture because recycling is kind like a culture. It’s something that you must experience something that you have to do you know.
‘’I was looking into Zimbabwe, and I wanted to ask that question is there a recycling culture in Zimbabwe? Are people aware that they can recycle material and for those people recycling materials why are they doing it?
‘’Are they doing it because they want money? We need to explain to them what you are trying to do and what you trying to achieve.
‘’When I did the documentary I just to talk about the recycling culture in Zimbabwe then I realised that there is more that is going on and there is so much to tell, and I realised that this was an opportunity for me to test my capabilities as well to see whether I can put this together and now I have more confidence.
‘’So, the plan is to make a long-format documentary, I want to go deep and get the broader picture, this is just the first part, but more is coming,” he said.
Watch waste separation exercise attempt in Harare here
Environmentalists also blame such local authorities as the City of Harare for not playing ball when it comes to recycling. Although people in Harare had warmed up to the idea of separating waste, the move was hampered by garbage collectors who came and mix it again.
Others argue that separating waste at the source would have become costly for the city council as that would about three separate refuse trucks to collect garbage at a time when it is failing to even send one.
We need to cultivate a culture of recycling says Uncle Blux
