Environment Management Agency (EMA) is lobbying government to ban use disposable diapers in Zimbabwe arguing that the nappy substitutes have far-reaching negative ecological effects that outweigh their convenience.
EMA Bulawayo provincial manager, Decent Ndlovu said diapers posed serious environmental hazards hence the need to ban them.
“We are advocating they be banned because of the environmental hazards they are posing, if the people who produce and sell them are really concerned, they should recover and recycle them.
“banning of disposable diapers could actually help revive local industries that shut down or scaled down operations in the country after washable nappies became unpopular,” he said.
However scores of women who spoke to 263Chat said the move by EMA presented a lot of problems while lobbying the body to invest in educating citizens on safe disposal of diapers.
“Hakuna mvura yekuwacha manappy acho, kana vakavara kuti tishandisa my diapers iwawa tozoitei nevana vedu, manappy hapo hachawanike zvekumanya ka (there is no water to wash the nappies, if they ban the use of diapers what will happen to our children, the washable nappies are not readily available),” said Mrs Josephine Mpala.
Another woman, Priscilla Ngwenya said the old nappies were risk to babies as they may cause infections.
“Ok we understand that the diapers are an environment hazard, why ban without any plan towards this to help future mothers without causing any malicious infections towards their infants,” said Mr Priscilla Ngwenya.
Another lady Daniella Tembo urged EMA to do more in terms of educating women on how to properly dispose them.
“Why cant these people teach people on how to properly dispose of these diapers than banning the things are helping us help in breeding our children, manappies aya ejira anopedza sipo nemvura apo zvinhu zvakaoma azvisikutengeka (washable cloth nappies consume more water and soap, while all these things are expensive altogether),” said Daniella Tembo.
The whole set of supporting products — such as nappy liners, plastic pants, nappy pins and special detergents for soaking nappies — has disappeared and a lot would have to be done to reintroduce the old-fashioned alternative before a ban could even be considered.
The argument over the use of disposable diapers is supposedly worldwide, as environmentalists cry on the spiral of such waste upon landfills and water borne areas.
According to greenmatters.com, a convectional disposable diaper cannot be recycled, it takes at least 500 years to decompose with a single baby using about 3 000 disposable diapers in a year.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Nick Mangwana said going back to nappies may not be progressive for parents while lobbying for biodegradable options.
“Disposable diapers are an environmental nuisance & contribute significantly to urban waste forming part of landfills @EMAeep is lobbying Government to ban them, but going back to “manapukeni” may not be progressive 4 parents. How about biodegradable options?” tweeted Min. Mangwana.
