There’s NO planet B; let's get tough to the litterbug.

In Tanzania, it is estimated that the quantity of municipal solid waste

generated amounts to more than 10,000 tonnes per day. However, nearly
50 percent is not collected but ends up disposed off through the local
burning or burying methods. In 2015, Ilala municipal could only dispose
of 50 percent of the 1,100 tonnes of garbage produced daily. Waste
management has since become the world’s biggest headacheis everyone’s
business. We all produce wastes in nearly everything we do. What we do
with the waste we produce is now the worlds’ biggest headache.

Littering is a deliberate act,

Littering is amongst the leading contributor to urban waste problems. What
irks the most is the fact that; the majority of littering happens intentionally.
People find it completely normal to throw away cigarette butts, food
wrappers and disposables. As a result, most of this rubbish swiftly ends up in
our water bodies. What is this doing to our planet? Simply put, destroying it.

There can be several arguments as to why people litters, which includes the
prevalence of existing waste and the absence of collection equipment's, but
the truth still stands, 85% of littering is mostly a deliberate act. When
pressed with severe repercussions and penalties, human beings tend to do
the right thing, they stop littering. Also, those who grow up in a disposable
society have a tendency to end up disposing, and vice versa.

“Usitupe taka hapa” is now a joke

It is annoying to see signs like “Usitupe takataka hapa” in areas full of debris.
No one really cares. It says so much about the one who installed the sign
and just left, and the one who saw the sign and persisted littering. That is
where we are as a society. It is becoming clear that the reason most people
litter is not because they think it’s OK or because they don’t know better.
But because they think it's the easier thing to do. They know it is wrong, but
they do it because it’s easy.

Say no to noise pollution,

For most people in big cities like Dar es salaam, noise pollution is supposed
to be a "normal” everyday phenomenal. That it is normal for the local pub
next door, to host live music till late hours. That is normal for our
neighborhoods to become hubs of uncontrolled sounds and blares. People
in this city seems to have decided to soldier on like it’s part of the urban life.
NO, it is not normal, and it shouldn't be allowed to be. Though the impacts
and adverse effects of noise pollution cannot be immediately felt, there is a
big chance of ending up with health effects such as loss of hearing ability,
birth complications, and high Blood Pressure.

It is a collective effort,

As a society, we need to get serious in highlighting collective social

disapproval against littering and other forms of pollutions. The fact that no
one dares to litter around the c0ntrolled areas such as army and law
enforcers barracks. Tells us all we need to know about the need for changed
behaviors. If one can be conscious enough not to litter in certain areas
fearing repercussions and consequences, one can be mindful enough to not
litter at all. Let’s get tough against these unacceptable behaviors.

Also, there is no shame for our city lords to borrow a leaf from other cities
like Kigali in Rwanda and Moshi. Apart from stringent littering conventions
in the case of Moshi, Kigali has a special cleaning program, every
Saturday morning, where everyone is compelled to participate in cleaning
activities around their neighborhoods. This has worked out remarkably.

We should all remember that we have no Planet B. Might as well take

good care of the one we have.