The plastic picking fever has hit Lata, Temotu Province.
After news reached surrounding villages that someone’s paying for the plastics, villagers stepped out digging through trash and other road-side dumping ground.
Two villagers from Neba, Nickson and Timo showed off their collection.
Nickson said he’s collecting plastic because an overseas plastic buyer is buying in Honiara starting this month.
He said the buyer’s agent in Honiara is already collecting plastic and when the main buyer arrives, he will pay $500 per kilogram of plastics.
He explains that you need to cut the plastic into small pieces and compact it into 500 litres drinking water container.
Timo also explained that the company buys anything that melts like plastic.
“This is why I’m collecting,” he exclaimed.
“I am also collecting broken plastic buckets and floaters and anything that looks like plastic,” he added.
He said every province has been collecting, only Temotu is slow that is why he said “I am excited to participate in this simple but rewarding job”.
Plastic collection has made some difference in Lata station, if you walk around the station; you hardly see plastic lying around.
In a way, it helps the station cleaners to clean the station of plastics.
Another villager reported some weeks ago, his plastic covered garden house was stripped bare as plastic collectors venture into garden areas and collected anything and everything that is plastic.
Now he said he must build a timber garden house.
Others who are not so sure requested explanation from rgw provincial office whether this is true or not.
But the Administration is unable to confirm or deny because no confirmed information has been provided.
Any person therefore, or agents in Honiara that have information about this, please call administration office on phone 53037 so that proper information is given out to people.
