Plastic bottles pollute the environment. This is evidence established by environmental experts. But the way in which they are managed has negative repercussions on the preservation of the environment, especially in the Burundian agglomerations in the forefront of which the city of Bujumbura. The municipality of Ntahangwa is one example among many others.
Plastic bottles scattered in public places should be of concern to everyone, as they pollute the environment.
Waste from plastic bottles is becoming more and more of a concern. In the Ntahangwa commune of the city of Bujumbura and more precisely in the parking lot of the Cotebu buses which serve the interior of the country, they are found in abundance. Plastic bottles are strewn all over this parking lot and the majority of them have been compressed by the tires of the vehicles that drive there from time to time. One of the reasons for this situation is that the beverage trade in plastic bottles is flourishing there because travelers need to quench the thirst caused by the heat of the Imbo plain. ” My daily job is to sell juices and mineral water in or around Cotebu parking lot. All my products are packed in plastic bottles. Like my colleagues, I offer my drinks to passengers. What is obvious is that the majority of those who consume it throw the plastic bottles in the courtyard of the parking lot after having quenched their thirst. Says a young itinerant trader of drinks packaged in plastic bottles near the Ngagara II market, known as Cotebu.
There is some truth in the words of this young man because, in this car park, there are many people and it is rare not to surprise someone holding a plastic bottle in their hands. But in the end, this kind of bottle is generally thrown in inappropriate places. This simultaneously damages sanitation and the environment. To remedy this, public trash cans are an alternative although they are not generally well used in the places where they are installed.
On the other hand, in the Cotebu car park to which we are referring, there are only two small barrels considered as public trash cans, just at the exit of the car park. But the passengers almost don’t care, because the obvious is that plastic waste is strewn in every nook and cranny of the car park. ” When I’m done drinking an energy drink, I don’t care where I throw the plastic bottle because I see them scattering all over the parking lot. So I do like everyone else and no one forces me to throw them in a trash can said a young lady sitting in a bus traveling from Bujumbura to Gitega.
Plastic bottles thrown everywhere
The situation prevailing at the Cotebu car park with regard to the management of plastic bottles is not unique, as it is a phenomenon observed in all corners of the city of Bujumbura. Plastic bottles are thrown almost everywhere like in streets, gutters, rivers etc. The public authorities must deal with their management. Which is not the case today given the situation prevailing on the ground.
In addition to that, the law obliges producers goods packed in plastic bags to collect them for recycling. This is the case of decree No 100/099 of August 8, 2018 prohibiting the import, manufacture, marketing and use of bags and other plastic packaging. Article 7 of the said decree stipulates that plastic waste, including plastic bottles and flasks are returned to suppliers who provide storage, recycling or recovery.
