Dhaka 17 August 2021: Occupational health-safety and food sustainability is an emerging need for waste collectors in this pandemic. Addressing this need, ESDO organized a Covid-19 relief and PPE kits distribution event for waste workers and their families. Today, total 60 waste works were provided safety kits and food relief at Lalmatia, Dhaka.
The relief and kits were funded by Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives – GAIA
Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO), organize this distribution and discussion session as part of series of capacity building support program under its project “Building Zero Waste Communities for a Pollution-Free Environment in Bangladesh”. The project focus on Building Zero Waste community model towards ending environmental health risks and community wellbeing as well as accelerates the circular economy in Bangladesh with is major key players – Waste Workers. https://zerowaste.esdo.org/
Previously, ESDO organized a capacity building training for the waste workers to educate them on waste segregation and health-safety. They were educated about different types of hazardous waste such as medical waste, e- waste and chemical waste etc. It was also showed through a flipchart that by not wearing safety materials during waste collection process, they can be infected from wastes. They were proposed to use four colors of bin (green, red, yellow, blue) to segregate different types of wastes. The waste workers agreed with the proposal and now practicing waste segregation.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, waste collectors or waste management workers were reduced by almost 50% because of getting infected by Covid-19 as they work without adequate protection. These employees rely on their daily wages make ends meet. Losing work at this time is gradually pushing their families into extreme poverty. Understanding their contribution towards society, ESDO and GAIA has taken this initiative to provide the waste workers a healthy and safe future and also to boost their mental well-being.
Representatives from Dhaka North City Corporation, Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka, and Civil Society along with principal of Lalmatia Housing Society School and College and ESDO team members were present to distribute the relief and PPT kits. At the beginning of the event, a brief discussion took place and at the end, ESDO also provided health and safety equipment consisting of rubber gloves, gum boots, masks and hand sanitizer and relief of food and medicine among every waste workers who have joined this event.
Respected Special Guest, Syed Hasan Nur Islam Rashton, Councillor, 32 No. words, Dhaka North City Corporation stated that “Waste workers are a very valuable members of our society and making sure their safety is our responsibility. I would like to thank ESDO and GAIA for the initiative and Dhaka North City Corporation will help them to achieve their goal in every possible way”
Background
Zero Waste is a philosophy and a designed principle that goes beyond recycling to take a “whole system” approach to the flow of resources and waste through human society. It attempts to guide people to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where discarded materials become resources for others to use. Environment and Social Development Organization-ESDO launched a unique and innovative project titled
For more information, please contact:
Sarah Jabeen
Program Coordinator and Head of Policy Advocacy
Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO)
Email: info@esdo.org
Mobile: +8801762-053420
Website: www.zerowaste.esdo.org
