CHILDREN IN ARUA CITY UNKNOWINGLY CONTRIBUTING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION WHILERIPPING FROM PLASTIC COLLECTION
A Child checking for plastics bottles from Rubbish can in Arua city
By Anslem Ojaru
Arua city
Children in Arua city are engaged in collecting plastic bottles for economic survival especially during holidays where they collect discarded plastic bottles and other forms of plastics to sell for cash.
Imran 14 year old says he picked interest in collecting biodegradables from his friends and he now moves around the street collecting plastics.
“I started collecting the plastics recently in small quantities when my sisters threw them. I collect the plastics and sell them and share the money with them sometimes I get 500, sometimes 1,000 at times of 2,000. I use the money for buying clothes, shoes and sometimes I buy books for school and during school time I stay at home reading my books I don’t collect, I first go for studies.”
A primary 3 pupil says the money has helped him afford scholastic materials clothes for himself.
“The money I give to my mom to keep and when the money accumulates, she gives me and I use for taking care of myself and during school time we go to school. When it is sunny people take a lot of water and sometimes we collect bottles worth up to 10,000 shillings in a day.”
Some of the plastic bottles gathered at the plastic dealers place in Arua city
Hanifah Shamim, a mother, however urges the public to use the right way in cases of alleged theft.
“The collection is also bad because these kids can be attempted to steal people’s jerry cans and basins. So, if you catch such a child take him or her to the local council chairperson and they give them advice that stealing is a bad thing,” she appealed.
Kassim Musa a plastic dealers says the demand for recycling purposes has increased the number of collecting plastics which includes all ages.
“They bring every day. A Kilogram is at 300 shillings, while some are at 200 or even 100 shillings. This plastic collection is also part of protecting the environment because we collect it and we take it for recycling,” he revealed.
Across urban centers in Uganda children are seen collecting plastics for money and According to NEMA 40% of plastic waste remains uncollected which makes the largest contribution to pollution.
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