Scavengers Make Fortunes From Refuse In Rumuokoro, Others

It is now strange to throw away plastics and used can drinks around Rumuokoro and Eneka axis of Obio /Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The trend now is to keep them while waiting for one of the numerous scavengers to come around the neighbourhood and pick them.
The dumpsite at Rumeukiini and Rumuchiorlu are busy 24 hours with scavengers picking, selecting and bagging what was once considered trash.
They even go as far as washing old rubber slippers and used plastic items for recycling. And for most residents, it is better to wait for the scavengers than for one to go and discard one’s waste.
One of the dealers in these waste materials, but who preferred anonymity spoke to The Tide Metro, saying the business has been booming in the past five years.
Another of the scavengers, who spoke to The Tide Metro gave his name as Musa Alani. He said it has been his means of livelihood for some years now.
Alani deals on plastic wastes. He picks, washes and packs old discarded soft drink bottles for recycling. The recycling plant is outside Port Harcourt and he has to pack many bags before going to sell to the company.
Jane Obi ,a lady who now collects old plastics from her neighborhood told The Tide Metro that she went into the business because of lack of job. She sells some of the old plastic bottles to women who produce liquid detergents and herbal drinks.
Asked whether the bottles are safe to be used for such business, she said they are washed before using.
A resident of Rumuokoro, Esama Esele corroborated the view of Obi, explain that most of the bottles end up being used as containers for herbal beverages.
Esele expressed fear that the business may pose health hazard if government agencies like the National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) fails to intervene in regulating consumables produced under unhygienic conditions.
On his part, Abiodun Abo said the trend of using discarded used plastic bottles is not new, and has provided means of livelihood for some people.
Abo said, “There has been no report that somebody has died using old plastic bottles. Many women who used to sell herbal beverages like Zobo wash them before usage.”
For Mr. Abe Anulu, there should be outright ban on the usage of recycled plastic bottles. “There is need for the state environmental officers to begin to monitor how these people pick and use these bottles. It may cause health problems in the future.”