New Era

WINDHOEK - Namibia is not short of inventions aimed at reducing the impact that continued use of firewood has on the environment, but also the time taken to fetch such fuel wood.

The latest include pressed paper pellets made out of recycled waste paper and specially designed Environ stoves by individual community members who used to work at the Skorpion Zinc operation and the Karas Environmental Enterprises (KEE) respectively.

Seven people, engaged into the services of KEE have recycled several tonnes of paper into pellets, which are being sold at N$10 for one kg of cheap fuel.

So far, one tonne of waste paper has been pressed into pellets. Also all the stoves are made from discarded steel.

At the launch of the Environ stoves and the Karas Environmental Enterprise, 7kg of pellets from Scorpion Zinc and 70 of the 200 stoves were handed over and will be given to needy members of the Tutungeni community.

The stoves are a concept developed by Skorpion Zinc employees who volunteered to design the pressers and unique stoves as their social commitment to the disadvantaged community and out of care and respect for the environment.

According to studies, the collection of waste paper to recycle into paper pellets at N$10 for 1kg of pellets will prevent years of destruction to the extremely sensitive surroundings, and can provide a source of fuel for five days. Usually a bundle of wood costs up to N$30 a bag.

Skorpion Zinc operates in an internationally recognised heritage area and proclaimed national park. The mine has attracted a number of people flocking into the area looking for work, who survive on the surrounding habitat, as the only services provided to them are water and sewerage facilities.

This leaves many unable to afford power supply equipment and thus rely on the surrounding vegetation as a source of energy fuel.

A small and medium enterprises consulting company was contracted to help set up the business plan and all other facets of managing such an entity. Having met with the groups enquiring about such a possibility, Skorpion Zinc established a forum that incorporated the interested parties and the unemployed youth in the community.

Skorpion Zinc had also identified the need to recycle waste in accordance with the ANGLO ENVIROWAY and accepted the idea to assist the community having realised what was happening to the surrounding area.

KEE came into being to clean the environment, recycle all kinds of waste in future around Rosh Pinah and to extend its services to other regions of Namibia in time.

Orangemund Constituency Councillor Toivo Nambala, who received the donation of the stoves and fuel pellets last week, said Scorpion Zinc not only provided relief to less fortunate members of society, but also demonstrated its support for environmental conservation and the local economic development of Rosh Pinah.

Nambala said the stoves were a welcome source of cooking and heating fuel.

He lauded the KEE for its role in generating wealth and employment opportunities, which in turn were contributing the sustainability of Rosh Pinah's local economy. In the same vein, the councillor warned the community members against damaging the environment through activities such as littering, quad biking and driving 4X4 vehicles and poaching, which damaged the country's fauna and flora.

An awareness campaign is also being conducted on why it is better to buy the paper pellets to save the environment and save precious time for residents to walk kilometres into the arid landscape looking for plants to uproot.

Residents are also being informed about the safe handling and use of the Environ stoves so as to prevent possible health hazards due to smoke emission. The stoves are supposed to be used to cook in the open and not as a source of warmth.

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