Mohammad Dawood

Okaz/Saudi Gazette



JEDDAH — The chairwoman of the Saudi Society for Environmental Sciences (SENS) has warned that garbage containers can be a source of pollution and epidemics.



Ruqayyah Qashqari, also a microbiology professor at King Abdulaziz University, said that these containers are not covered and provide an ideal environment for germs, insects, rats and other harmful parasites to breed.



She pointed out many countries use environmentally friendly containers that are well covered, pleasing to the eye and are dedicated to different types of rubbish.



"Our garbage containers contain a mix of food, glass, liquids, cans and other objects that are ideal for insects, rodents and other harmful creatures to live in," she said.



She explained in other countries there are separate containers for plastics, paper, glass, food and other materials.

"The open garbage containers allow people to easily search through them for useful items that they may use or sell to others," she said.



She added that companies that buy such items, like cans, from such individuals only encourage them to search the containers even more.



Qashqari pointed to the increasing use of plastic bags, which she said should be replaced by environmentally friendly bags that degrade automatically.



She claimed retailers in other countries charge people for using plastic bags to minimize their use and called on concerned bodies to educate the public on their use.



She said a "Green Environment" event was organized by SENS, at King Abdulaziz University’s Prince Abdulmajeed Hall on Thursday to discuss new developments that guarantee a safe and healthy environment.

The event was attended by academics and environment specialists and includes a workshop on the environment as well as a training session on how protecting the environment is part of Islam.