Nature Discovery is committed to social and environmental responsibility. We’ve made important partnerships which make us a notable leader in ethical porter treatment standards (with KPAP, the Kili Porters Assistance Project). In environmental care we off-set our carbon footprint with Carbon Tanzania, practice Leave-No-Trace principles, ban the use of traditional charcoal, and now we have partnered with TENA, a much-needed recycling initiative in Arusha, to reduce waste that is mostly the product of the tourism industry! Read our announcement below:
Every day, tons of plastic waste in the form of water bottles are dumped in roadside drains or burned in landfill sites or on vacant land. The impact of plastic waste on communities and the environment is significant and far-reaching. Plastic waste clogging drains and waterways can lead to flooding and the pooling of stagnant water, which reduces water quality and provides a breeding ground for malaria carrying mosquitos. In addition, the burning of plastic waste at dumpsites occurs at a low temperature, which releases plumes of toxic smoke and creates hazardous ash that contaminates the surrounding soil.
As an environmentally and socially responsible business, Nature Discovery has partnered with TENA Recycling to help reduce the impact of plastic waste on Tanzania’s natural and urban environment.
Beginning in December 2013, Nature Discovery will separate all plastic water bottles from the ordinary biodegradable waste stream and deposit them in a TENA recycling bin at their main depot in Arusha. The plastic will then be collected by TENA staff and transported to our warehouse in Mbauda where it will be sorted, compacted and prepared for a recycling process that will see it turned back into new water bottles or spun out into fibers used in the textile industry.
In addition to significantly reducing their own ecological footprint, Nature Discovery’s participation in the TENA program also enables another vital service to Tanzania’s people and the environment in which they live.
Beginning in 2014, TENA recycling will begin paying rebates to economically disadvantaged local people who collect and deposit recyclable plastics at one of our collection points. This service will lead to a significant reduction in the amount of waste plastic littering urban areas and will also provide basic and easily accessible economic opportunities for thousands of people.
By supporting TENA Recycling’s collection program, Nature Discovery is directly contributing to both, reducing the impact of plastic waste on the environment and the creation of jobs and opportunity for Tanzanian people.
