Waste Takes Centre Stage in Soroti City

As June drew to a close, heaps of uncollected waste remained at Soroti City Main Market after Soroti City authorities reportedly failed to transport it to the Amit dump site due to a shortage of fuel.

The situation raised fresh concerns over waste management in one of the city’s busiest commercial centres, where hundreds of traders and customers generate significant amounts of waste every day.

With routine collection disrupted, garbage accumulated within sections of the market, creating an unpleasant environment and raising fears over sanitation, public health, and environmental pollution.

While the immediate cause of the waste accumulation was the reported lack of fuel to transport garbage to the designated dumpsite, the incident has also exposed the need to strengthen waste management systems beyond routine collection.

Waste management does not begin when a collection truck arrives. It begins where the waste is generated. Every day, markets, households, restaurants, schools, and businesses produce different types of waste. When biodegradable waste, plastics, bottles, paper, and other materials are mixed together, disposal becomes more difficult, recycling opportunities are lost, and environmental pollution increases.

During periods when waste collection is delayed, mixed waste quickly becomes a health hazard through bad odours, attraction of diseasecarrying insects, and contamination of the surrounding environment. It is for this reason that SAF TESO continues to promote waste segregation at source as a practical and sustainable solution to improving environmental sanitation. Waste segregation simply means separating waste into different categories at the point where it is produced. This simple practice makes waste easier to manage, improves opportunities for recycling, reduces contamination, and minimises the volume of waste that eventually reaches disposal sites. Proper waste segregation also supports a circular economy by allowing recyclable materials to be recovered and reused instead of being buried alongside organic waste. It reduces pressure on landfills, lowers waste management costs over time, and creates opportunities for income generation through recycling enterprises. The situation witnessed at Soroti City Main Market demonstrates that waste management systems can easily be affected by operational challenges such as fuel shortages, vehicle breakdowns, or logistical constraints. However, communities can still reduce the impact of such disruptions by adopting responsible waste management practices at market and household levels. For market vendors, this means separating food remains from plastics, bottles, and other recyclable materials before disposal. For households, it means developing simple habits that make waste easier to collect, transport, recycle, or safely dispose of.

Beyond promoting segregation at source, SAF TESO continues to conduct community sensitisation programmes aimed at encouraging responsible environmental practices.

Through awareness campaigns, demonstrations, and stakeholder engagement, the organisation is working with communities to improve waste handling, strengthen environmental conservation, and promote healthier living conditions. Environmental protection is a shared responsibility.

While local authorities play an important role in collecting and transporting waste, communities also have a responsibility to minimise waste, separate it correctly, and dispose of it responsibly.

Sustainable waste management cannot rely solely on collection trucks; it requires active participation from every individual.

The temporary accumulation of waste witnessed at Soroti City Main Market should therefore serve as more than a reminder of operational challenges. It should encourage individuals, businesses, and institutions to rethink how waste is managed from the moment it is generated.

A cleaner environment does not begin at the dumpsite. It begins at the source.