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{
    "id": 405862,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/405862/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 134,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Lesan",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 506,
        "legal_name": "Wilfred Rottich Lesan",
        "slug": "wilfred-rottich-lesan"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, thank you for giving me the opportunity to ventilate on this Motion. First, I wish to state categorically that I support this Motion for various reasons, some of them touching on the important area of the health of our citizens. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, environment is a very important aspect of our lives and waste is one of those things that has the greatest impact on the environment. I think that it is very important that we pay attention on this aspect of waste. Unfortunately, waste does not build up rapidly. It is a slow process that we might not recognise but it is continuous and might have very negative impact on the environment and the society at large. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this morning, I just want to confine myself to what I would like to refer to as hazardous waste. This is the kind of waste that is going to threaten our lives in times to come and in fact, it has started to do so now as we continue to become urbanized and industrialization takes root. Hazardous waste is one of those things that will directly affect the health of individuals. These are the kind of wastes that are starting to be generated more and more. I have in mind plastic or synthetic material. Synthetic material is the kind of waste that is happening today as we carry on with our lives. According to a study which was done last year by KIPPRA, supermarkets in this country gave out 200,000 million plastic bags for carrying goods home. These plastic bags are made of thin synthetic material. This material may not be dangerous as it is but if it is burnt, it turns into fibre. It produces one of the chemicals that we know as the leading precursor for causing cancer in the country. That material is called dioxin which is a product of burning of synthetics. It might just be better to dump these synthetics in the dumpsite and not burn them but what we know is that there is a lot of burning of synthetic material at the dumpsite. It would have been best if those things were left as they are but when they are burnt into fumes and fibre, it becomes a chemical called dioxin and it is a precursor which is well known and well documented at the moment as the greatest cause of cancer. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we can manage the waste by controlling their output. This is one aspect where a simple policy or a simple circular from the Government can ban the use of plastic bags in the society. When we do this, we can completely eliminate and we will not be the first to do that. There are countries which have already banned the use of plastic bags as carrier bags in their various supermarkets. This has gone a long way in controlling the menace of light synthetic paper bags. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate"
}