Monrovia – Miss Liberia Wokie Dolo has donated several waste collection materials to the Duala branch of the Liberian Marketing Association to enhance its waste collection ability.
Items donated include three wheelbarrows, five shovels, and four large iron garbage collections bins.
The donation, which took place on Saturday, July 13, 2019, according to Ms. Dolo is in continuation of her cleaning-up campaign dubbed ‘Liberians for Clean Liberia’.
The campaign was launched a week ago in the densely populated Duala market with a massive cleaning-up campaign which saw the removal of the huge stockpile of waste.
“As Liberians, it is our responsibility to make sure this country is clean, healthy, and safe for ourselves, and the next generation and not just sit idle and wait for the government,” Miss Dolo added.
In her lecture, Ms. Dolo also educated the marketers about the methods of waste separation from the source of productions into biodegraded and non-biodegradable wastes.
Ms. Dolo further said: “We can re-use plastic bottles or jars at home to create flower pots or sell oil in it or milk and to keep cooking materials like salt and cube. As for the cans, we can sell it to traditional pot makers who need it to make pot since it is aluminum instead of throwing it away.
“By doing these things, we will reduce the numbers of wastes that go to the dumpsites, which is very important for the safety of the environment and our health. If we do not discharge our responsibilities now, then not only us, but our children and our grandchildren will suffer the consequences of our action’s years ahead.
“Therefore, it is very important for us all to join the moment and start practicing sustainable or proper waste management from our homes, workplaces, and offices. It is now time for us to act as responsible citizens to stop the illegal disposal of wastes or the digging of holes in the ground to fill it up with rubbish.
“We cannot escape the consequence of our action if we choose not to protect the environment which is under by the ugly way we dispose of our threat. The truth of the matter is that Liberia faces serious environmental challenges, and the government has never been in denial over this.
Ms. Dolo told marketers and passerby that roadside air pollution is increasing daily because of illegal dumping or improper disposal of waste, likewise underground water pollution.
“If we don’t take action to reduce waste, our landfills will be full soon thereby creating a problem for waste collections. It is for this reason; we need to do more to treasure and conserve our resources by reducing, reusing, and recycling our waste. Our landfills should be the last resort for our unavoidable solid wastes, not the first port of call for most of it.”
Meanwhile, Ms. Dolo has called on manufacturers of various commodities to undertake measures to minimize the environmental impact of their products.
“It is about time you people rethink your business approach from design to packaging and finally, disposal by producing products that generate less waste and facilitate recycling,” she said.
In a brief remark, Madam Hajai Sirleaf, Superintendent of the LMA Duala market branch, thanked Miss Liberia for the support and promised to use the donated materials for the rightful purpose.
“My daughter, these donations came at the right time and will help us collect market garbage and to keep it clean,” Madam Sirleaf said.
In a related development, Ms. Dolo has thanked the government of Liberia through the Monrovia City Corporation for their continued moral support towards the project.