Nature is a priceless gift. With the idyllic landscapes of this paradise island, one would tend to forget that the environment is, nonetheless, fragile, facing the imminent threat of waste management. Stacked on beaches and roadsides, rubbish represents more than an eyesore: a major challenge that both the world and our country need to rise to. At Blue Life Ltd, we value nature as an indispensable asset and therefore decided to help preserve this glorious environment through #prankont, a regional sensitization campaign.
A global survey conducted in 2016 found that an individual generated an average of 0.74 kg of waste per day. With a growing population, this number is expected to increase by 70% by 2050. In Mauritius, prospects are equally daunting with the only landfill of the island totaling 500 000 tons of waste, and approaching a state of saturation.
In order to find more eco-friendly alternatives for the 1500 tons of daily waste generated in Mauritius, Blue Life Ltd, and Azuri launched #Prankont, a sensitization campaign to educate members of the public about this issue, and motivate them to take action. Meaning “beware of this”, the creole phrase is a dynamic call to action, drawing the attention of inhabitants of the North-East region to the waste management problem while enlisting their help in concrete action: the World Cleanup Day.
Around 250 volunteers showed up on the beach of Roches Noires on the 21st of September 2019 to clean up the beach, gathering over 1400kg of litter, sorted for more efficient disposal with the help of Zero Waste Mauritius. Another event of the campaign consisted of educational workshops to train children of the region on how to sort waste selectively, increasing the outreach of the campaign to a wider age group, thus impacting various generations.
Combining diverse age groups to both action and educational aspects of the campaign certainly set the stepping stones for success. Indeed, the inherent element of this success is continuity, by setting forth a viable change in habits that will hopefully inspire other citizens of the country, and the world.
