RWANDA Environment Management Authority (Rema) is to implement a new strategy, ‘Cleaner Production’, to deal with industrial waste products at their source to ensure environmental safety.

The enforcement of the programme starts next year and will run through 2010, Remy Norbert Duhuze, Rema’s Environmental Impact Assessment and the Cleaner Production Focal Point Officer, said yesterday.

Duhuze said the initiative would reduce on environmental risks posed by industries by minimising waste materials and preventing pollution.

He was speaking during a workshop aimed at sensitising manufactures and factory owners on how they can use the cleaner production to reduce on industrial wastes held at Hotel Novotel Umubano.

He said: "Cleaner production is a way of producing goods and services with minimum environmental impacts under the present technological and economic limitations.

"It’s being used in Uganda and Kenya and it registered success. With this new inventory we can achieve the Economic Development for Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) without affecting the environment.”

Rema has carried out a cleaner production pilot programme with Inyange, Utexrwa, Sakirwa Industries Ltd, Sulfo Rwanda Industries Ltd and Rwanda Leather Industries, and successfully concluded with tangible results.

Duhuze said that the programme can be used to increase the productivity of business by ensuring more efficient use of raw materials, energy and water while promoting its environmental performance through the reduction of wastes and emissions at the source.

"Not only does the clean up production protect environment but also increases profitability, lowers production costs and enhances productivity by reducing on the costs incurred in wastes treatment process,” he explained.

The Director of Kenya National Cleaner Production, Jane Nyakango said that her country has benefited a lot from the programme.

She urged Rwandan manufactures to use it to minimise the rate of environmental pollution. 

"It offers a great potential for companies to improve their environmental performance and gain community support, while increasing economic efficiency and productivity,” she said.

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