Speech of Hon. Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development Launching of the Recycling Programme on Mobile Phones and Batteries in Government Offices (5 May 2011 at 10:00hrs at Sir Harilal Vaghjee Memorial Hall) Hon. Ashit Kumar Gungah, Minister of Civil Service and Administrative Reforms Mr Sarat Lallah, Chief Executive Officer, Mauritius Telecom Senior Chief Executives Permanent Secretaries Office Management Executives Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen Good Morning It is with great pleasure that I am addressing you today on the occasion of the launching of the project on “recycling of used mobile and batteries” in the civil service. You will recall that in October last year my Ministry in collaboration with the Mauritius Telecom Foundation, the Ministry of Local Government & Outer Islands, BEM Recycling Ltd, the NGO Mission Verte and the Citadelle Rotary Club of Port Louis launched this laudable initiative in all Municipalities and District Councils. I understand that this project is ongoing satisfactorily at the level of all local authorities. I am pleased to note that this project, which is in line with Government policy of greening 1 Mauritius, is now being extended to the civil service. I would like to thank all stakeholders for their presence today which shows their commitment and support to this project. A list of Orange shops, which serve as collection points across the island, as well as collection boxes are being provided to you. I rely on the Office Management Executives to ensure that the wastes collected at their respective offices are sent to the Orange shops. The objective behind the project in government offices and departments is to encourage public officers to strive for a better island and start carrying out waste segregation and promote recycling. The amount of wastes generated over the past years has increased tremendously. Every day we produce about 1200 tons of wastes that are landfilled at Mare Chicose. Some of those wastes are of a hazardous nature, namely used batteries and used mobile phones. Mauritius imports around 25 million batteries and more than 300,000 mobile phones yearly. Though mobile phones can last for about 5 to 8 years, they are however being disposed of prematurely since our buying habits are often influenced by our craze for new technology and new models. At times we do not realize that used batteries and used mobile phones contain harmful substances. Chemicals released from mobile phones and batteries contain heavy metals such as copper, lead, nickel, mercury, zinc, lithium, and cadmium, among others. Even in small amounts, those hazardous chemicals are persistent and constitute a serious threat to the environment, thereby affecting waterways and wildlife. Moreover, these chemicals are bioaccumulative and can cause various health problems. 2 To avoid health and environmental damages caused by used mobiles and batteries, the best way is to go for recycling. As you all know, recycling helps to reduce the consumption of natural resources and energy which are required for the manufacture of new products. Furthermore, lots of items which are not biodegradable can be recycled, hence increasing the life span of landfills. For example, used batteries contain a range of metals such as cobalt and cadmium that can be recovered for production of new batteries or which can be used as secondary raw materials. In the same line, the plastic materials recovered from circuit boards, handset and accessories of mobile phones can be recycled for the manufacture of plastic items such as bins and furniture. Ladies & Gentlemen, Unsustainable consumption is becoming one of the major problems of our society. It not only depletes the planet’s resources but it also increases generation of wastes thus representing a serious threat to human health and to the environment. The amount of solid wastes produced per inhabitant last year is around 340 kgs as compared to 240 kgs in 2000. This 40% increase is the result of our unsustainable pattern of consumption. In order to reduce the amount of solid wastes, my Ministry is carrying out sensitization programmes on sustainable lifestyles which aim at promoting the 3 R’s concept, i.e. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle to avoid wastage. The project of “recycling of used mobiles and batteries in Government Offices”, is not meant only for civil servants. This is why I will request you to 3 act as “ambassadors” for this project by sensitizing your children, members of your family and friends on the dangers of these wastes and on available collection points. Before ending, let me assure you that Government is fully committed to pursue the path of sustainable development to achieve our vision of “Maurice Ile Durable”. In this connection, my Ministry has initiated several actions such as the waste segregation project in primary schools, the publication of a booklet on “Sustainable Consumption and Production indicators”, and the organization of training for trainers programmes for Youth Leaders. My Ministry will continue to play its role as catalyst and facilitator. But to be successful, we need the involvement of all stakeholders. Government officers are called upon to lead by examples so that the civil service is seen to be the showcase and the vanguard of the “Maurice Ile Durable” vision. I therefore appeal to you to adopt sustainable practices at work such as saving on energy consumption by switching off lights, air conditionners and computers when not in use and recycling your waste paper. As you already know, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development is in the process of elaborating a national policy, a 10 year Strategic Plan and a three year Action Plan following the publication of the Green Paper on the “Maurice Ile Durable” project. In the above context my Ministry will be organizing shortly a series of workshops. I would like to invite you to fully participate in those workshops which aim at making Mauritius a sustainable island. Let us create the right synergy, forge a new 4 partnership and act together so that we can legate a better future to the coming generations. I am pleased to announce that on World Environment Day, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development will come forward with the Project “Zero Plastic” which will aim at providing the users and consumers an alternative to non-biodegradable plastic bags. I thank you for your attention and rely on the support of all stakeholders present to make this project a success. 5