A passerby does not fail to notice small garbage containers placed in every nook and corner of the streets with garbage overflowing, posing a threat of environmental pollution, reports Al-Rai daily.
The unsanitary and contaminated state of these containers, combined with the havoc caused by stray animals like cats, dogs, and mice, as well as the proliferation of insects, underscores a pervasive issue in most regions of Kuwait.
Al-Rai conducted visits to several supposedly typical and clean residential areas, only to witness a disturbing level of neglect affecting nearly all containers without exception.
Engaging with various stakeholders and individuals invested in addressing this concern, Al-Rai initiated discussions on the matter. Everyone, without exception said, that Kuwait grapples with a significant waste volume, estimated at 6 thousand tons per day, and a high average waste generation per capita, reaching 1.5 kilograms daily — an alarming figure on a global scale.
Consequently, it becomes evident that residential areas desperately need an increase in the number, size, and strategic placement of garbage containers to accommodate this burgeoning waste.
Achieving this objective hinges on the strength of the Kuwait Municipality strengthening its supervisory role over cleaning companies, holding non-compliant owners accountable, and devising innovative mechanisms to minimize environmental pollution in both residential and investment zones.
The proposal to install underground waste disposal systems is an imperative that demands implementation to address this critical issue effectively.
Municipal Council member Fahd Al-Abduljader expressed his dissatisfaction at the placement of garbage containers in private housing areas, saying the responsibility is shared between the municipality, cleaning companies and the community, especially since the municipality’s responsibility is to set regulations and controls and address the extent of compliance with them for waste disposal, and the role of the regulatory authorities concerned with following up the disposal process including, the legal powers granted to them, and the extent of the impact of violations and fines and their ability to deter violators of conditions and controls.
Municipal Council member Engineer Ismail Behbehani said, “The appearance of garbage containers in various areas of Kuwait is unacceptable, and does not reflect the civilized appearance at all.
“The reasons are many and common, but the main culprit is the Kuwait Municipality, as it is the one that manages the cleanliness file, and it is the one that concludes contracts with companies.”
He called for the necessity of having a clear mechanism that includes requirements and penalties that regulate the places where containers are placed, in a way that achieves what is required in a civilized manner and reflects the cleanliness of the area.
Deputy Director of the Municipality for Services Affairs and Head of the Public Cleanliness Committee in the Municipality, Mishal Al-Azmi, described the waste sorting process carried out by workers of some cleaning companies as “criminal” and that it is absurd, not a sorting process, stressing that the municipality is committed to the strategy of the Environment Public Authority regarding waste sorting.
Al-Azmi stressed, in a statement to Al-Rai, the necessity of changing the system, especially since the containers in private and model housing areas cannot accommodate waste outputs, and likewise in investment there is a lack of commitment to waste removal times, pointing out that “the current reality of containers is different from the contract obligations, meaning that a majority of people and home and property owners do not want to place containers in front of their properties, which leads to containers gathering at one specific point.
Municipal Council member Abdullah Al-Anazi stressed, “The municipality must implement its decisions by law with some cleaning companies. At the beginning of 2024, cleaning contracts will end, and a new phase will begin for all negatives to disappear, and therefore commitment must be the title of the next phase.”
Another member Engineer Abdul Latif Al-Daei confirmed that the level of cleanliness in Kuwait is very low, and the general appearance of garbage containers is miserable. He said, “I am not satisfied with the appearance of the containers in private housing, nor even the mechanism by which the garbage is removed and the containers are cleaned, even though the trash can must be cleaned, not just emptied of waste, and these matters are supposed to be part of cleaning contracts, but it is not done and we see it with our naked eyes.”
Al-Daei pointed out there is no study to improve the visual appearance of the shape, number and location of containers, not to mention the lack of sorting of containers, especially since special containers for plastic and organic waste are supposed to be placed tightly closed to avoid tampering with by cats and dogs.
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