THERE cannot be saying that the issue of climate change in general or its environmental degradation aspect has come under enough deliberation and we need a breather.

This is talk about humankind’s very survival and development, and it just cannot be rested before enough remedial action is taken across the globe and we are sure that the future can only be better and not static or worse.

For instance, all manner of experts have endlessly exchanged ideas on a slew of supposedly safe ways of getting rid of toxic chemicals and other materials from the environment.

Many have had their focus on fake electronic and plastic-based goods, most of them imported, and how they are usually disposed of.

Going by the way some deliberations have gone, it is clear that many of us know precious little about how to effectively and safely deal with problems associated with the use of goods with inherent potential to wreak havoc on the environment.

There are suggestions that demanding the return of suspicious goods to their countries of origin is a wiser option than burning or burying them because, in any case, most such items never really break down and rot and will remain a health hazard for very long. But there is no consensus even on this relatively clear issue.

In years gone by, Tanzanian agencies including the Cleaner Production Centre, Fair Competition Commission, Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority and Tanzania Bureau of Standards played a pivotal role on this front.

There in near consensus, though, that it pays to produce and consume goods and services that respond to the people’s basic needs and lead to a better life while cutting on the use of natural resources, toxic materials and the emission of toxic waste and other pollutants.

One reservation, though, has been why there appeared to be much greater interest in diagnosing the problems than in recommending solutions when the disposal of hazardous waste has been at the centre of many “battles” in the country and elsewhere.

One environmentalist says dealing with the issue would be a much less daunting challenge if people cared to remember that every household contributes to the accumulation and disposal of hazardous waste in the form of things like cleansers, paints, batteries or motor oil.

The expert further notes that each person has options available to him or her for reducing dependency on hazardous materials by using less while at the same time ensuring careful disposal.

It is noted that many labels on containers have precise precautionary information on contents and ways to handle, store, use, recycle, reuse and safely dispose of toxic waste. However, this is not to rule out deliberate foul play’

For instance, experts say it is a NO-NO-NO to burn any hazardous material on the ground or to dispose of it “down the sink” unless one is sure it can safely be disposed into the sewer system. 

Yet how often do we care to use latex gloves when handling waste or to wrap empty containers in several layers of newspaper before disposing of them alongside household refuse as a way of preventing environmental contamination and reactive potential?

We commonly flush pesticides, herbicides, oil paints, paint cleaners, and oil and transmission fluids into the water system while adding motor vehicle batteries to household garbage, while this is another NO-NO-NO!

Wise purchase, use, storage and disposal of chemicals we cannot do without can greatly reduce the negative environmental impact of these chemicals. This is time-tested expert advice we all needs to heed – without fail. Question: Do we all have the ability, willingness and readiness to do so?