By A Correspondent- Vice-President Kembo Mohadi said generators of waste must follow their products from manufacturing up to disposal by adopting the extended producer responsibility as a means of addressing waste management.

VP Mohadi said this in a speech read on his behalf by the Minister of State in his office, Davis Marapira.

“It is about time that industries adopt the extended producer responsibility principle which calls upon all generators of waste to follow their products from manufacture up to disposal so as to define a clear chain of custody.

“It would be disheartening to find post-consumer waste from companies to constitute litter without effort to follow it up. Companies should, however, incentivise communities to take back the post-consumer waste through a deposit system or running competitions,” he said.

VP Mohadi said Government will continue to pursue productive partnerships with the private sector in order to ensure inclusivity and greater action across the whole economy.

He implored citizens to practise sustainable waste management, adding that illegal dumping and littering must stop henceforth.

“I am happy to note that monitoring mechanisms of this programme are effectively being implemented in order to ensure intended results are achieved,” he said.

“I want to call upon those in law enforcement to intensify compliance monitoring against littering and dumping of waste in undesignated places.

“In this regard, I urge EMA to work closely with the police to enforce compliance. It is not fair for some of us to come out to clean in this manner while others continue to dump litter indiscriminately.”-StateMedia