ShareBy Majd Othman
KUWAIT: Despite the progress humans have made in preserving the environment, the world still witnesses actions from people who are not only carless towards the environment or its cleanliness, but also waste food and throw it on the streets with no appreciation for it. Why do people act this way, and what prevents them from throwing rubbish in the nearest trash can? Kuwait Times met people on the streets and asked them about their opinions on this issue. Amira Al-Azmi said she cannot understand these people’s actions, especially in places near health facilities, describing a situation she once witnessed. “I parked my car in the parking lot of a hospital, and when I opened the door, I stepped on a whole sandwich. First, I thought it must’ve fallen from someone’s hands, but then I noticed that the whole meal was on the ground. On the opposite side of my car, there was more discarded food. I picked it up and threw it in the trashcan, but I was really frustrated by these people,” she said.
Kuwait Municipality under the environmental protection law has set penalties for dumping waste, with a fine of between KD 100 and KD 300 for throwing waste on sidewalks, roads, yards, public squares or other private places, and for throwing papers, tissues, packets and cigarette butts on the sidewalk, streets, roads, squares, parking lots or public areas. Fines are also imposed for destruction of plants and uprooting trees on public lands, spitting, urinating and defecating in places other than those designated for it, and discarding fire residue and smoldering coal in waste bags or containers. The Municipality has also set a fine of not less than KD 50 and not more than KD 500 for not throwing garbage or waste of any kind into the street containers designated for it, but these penalties have not deterred some people from throwing food and trash everywhere.
“There are several reasons for such behavior of some people. Foremost is the individual's lack of sense of responsibility for hygiene in the society, in addition to the fact that penalties for violating hygiene are not enforced despite being widespread,” Samar Al-Anbar told Kuwait Times. “Our schools should add in the curriculum more subjects about environment protection to educate students from an early age the importance of personal hygiene, and how it is an uncivil behavior that negatively affects the environment at all levels,” she added.
Ritta Zuhair stressed the importance of the government’s role in distributing more trashcans on the streets and making environmental police implement the laws set by authorities. “Despite the existence of laws that prevent throwing trash, implementation of the law is lacking,” she said. Zuhair suggested a new way to punish people who throw garbage and are carless toward the environment — forcing them to clean the streets for a week in addition to the fine, to make them realize the negativity of their behavior.
Several campaigns are launched every year in Kuwait to urge people to participate in mass cleaning campaigns at beaches, streets and other places. But these efforts go in vain due to the irresponsible actions of people. These uncivilized behaviors cost the state in environmental and health pollution, in addition to visual pollution. Cleaners also have to exert great daily efforts in some places, and are forced to clean these areas twice a day.
