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
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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