The Sustainability Program team at Makerere University is organizing the 2nd Annual Waste Awareness Week (1st-5th October 2018), under a theme: Improving plastic waste management through awareness of sustainable plastic collection, disposal, re-use, reduce and recycling.  Officially launched by Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe who was represented by the Deputy University Secretary Mr. Yusufu Kiranda, the Waste Awareness Week is engaging students to take lead in implementing the different activities that are geared towards promoting sustainable waste management within the University.  

“We are set to have a think tank session, community outreach, social media campaigns on sustainable plastic collection, disposal, reuse, reduce and recycling. We have also organized a give back activity with MasterCard Foundation Scholars and Alumni Association at Makerere University Primary school,” said Ms. Pamela Matovu, the Coordinator of the Sustainability Program at Makerere University.

The Waste Management Awareness Week is a sustainability program that is stipulated in the Makerere University-Bangor University collaborative partnership. Coordinated by Makerere University Students Sustainability Action Group under the Planning & Development Department in collaboration with Estates & Works Department, the program engages university community in four major aspects of prevention, reduction, reuse and recycling of waste to reduce waste generation at Makerere University.

This year, Coca Cola Beverages Africa has come on board to support the Waste Awareness Week activities at Makerere University by donating 500 bins, stickers and street pole banners with waste management messages. The company is also set to enter into a partnership with Makerere University to construct a plastic collection Centre as a way of improving plastic waste management.

Makerere University has attained its position on waste management through a number of activities undertaken by students and staff. The Institution has also embarked on innovation and research developments to combat unnecessary waste disposal through recycling.

At the official launch of the Waste Awareness Week on 28th September 2018, Dr. Venny Nakazibwe together with a team of vibrant students from the College of Engineering, Design Art and Technology, presented their locally made DIY plastic compressing Machine used for compressing and threshing plastics into refined materials for recycling. The team also unveiled the LCB unit (Low cost and Sustainable building unit); a modern structural building components produced from plastics, steel slag and sand.

“In 2017, Makerere University opened the first Centre of Excellence in Waste Management. Located at Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyoro (MUARIK), the worth $USD 48,000 Centre trains farmers on how to sort, decompose, make biogas and set up demonstration plots on using agricultural waste. The Centre hosts incubators that help in culturing samples under controlled temperatures; an oven for drying samples, a bio gas analyzer for analyzing components in biogas and a microscope for specimen observation,” said the Vice Chancellor in a speech read by Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, 

“The Centre also host centrifuges that aid separation of liquid samples, a spectrophotometer for analyzing micronutrients in soil and water, a laboratory balance for weighing samples; PH meter for determining acidity and alkalinity of different samples of soil and water; a cooled incubator for culturing and can vary temperature-low system organisms and a portable solar biogas digester,” he added.

Prof. Nawangwe, thanked the Sustainability Lab-Bangor University for the continued relationship with Makerere University.  In a special way, he appreciated the support of the Coca-Cola Beverage Africa, towards the 2018 Waste Management Week.  He commended the Organizing Committee; the Estates and Works Department, Planning and Development Department, the Students’ Guild-Ministry of Estates and Environment and MasterCard Foundation Scholars and Alumni Association for their tireless efforts to ensure that the five days’ campaign is a success.

Mr. Kalenzi Edward Ivan from Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, commended Makerere University for its tremendous research that has developed solutions to the African challenges. He applauded Makerere University students for the plastic- recycle- innovations that are geared towards re-using plastics to reduce waste disposal in the community.  He thanked Makerere University Management for accepting to partner with Coca-Cola Beverages Africa to construct a plastic collection Centre at the legendary university.  

Job Namara, the Minister of Estates and Environment (84th Guild) called upon the entire Makerere University fraternity to embrace the campaign and ensure that waste is properly managed in the University.

Other members that graced the occasion included; the Director of Estates and Works Department Eng. Christina Kakeeto, the Director for Planning and Development Department Dr. Florence Nakayiwa, the Dean of Students Mr. Cyriaco Kabagambe, Mr. Nsereko Raymond, a Lecturer at the College of Engineering Design Art and Technology and Eng. Mugisha Rogers from Coca-Cola Beverages Africa.

Article by Makerere University Public Relations Office