lLucrative returns and the ample availability of plastic waste have turned the ragpickers to exclusive plastic bottle collectors
What has been considered waste across the State is now being regarded as a lucrative profession for some in Canacona taluka and the trade is being welcomed from different quarters.
In recent times, only ragpickers would be seen collecting plastic waste, including empty plastic bottles, but the lucrative returns with minimal effort and the ample availability of plastic waste has now converted the ragpickers to fulltime and exclusive plastic bottle collectors.
In Canacona taluka’s municipal region, a group of women armed with empty sacks descend on the streets on a daily basis to collect heaps of empty plastic bottles. The women cover various streets in the town, before moving towards the tourism belt at Palolem, Colomb, Patnem, and Rajbag. At the end of the day, the group returns with loads of sacks filled with empty plastic bottles.
The empty plastic bottles are then emptied at a fixed location or at some chosen scrap yard operating in the taluka. Once the accumulated plastic reaches a particular quantity, it is transported in trucks out of the taluka.
Incidentally, the plastic collectors are themselves unaware about the modalities of the plastic bottles.
When asked, a woman plastic bottle collector said, “Malum nahi, kidar lete hai. Hum to sirf bottles ekatte karke dete hai aur hame kuch paise milte hain” (we don’t know where they take them (bottles). We simply gather the bottles and we get some money for doing it).
To another query on whether they knew the dealers of the collected plastic, another woman plastic bottle collector added: “Woh lene ko dusre log athe hai, hame patta nahim (different people come to take away the bottles and we are not aware who they are).
Efforts to ascertain the amount of plastic collected by the collectors or the amount that they get for their efforts were unfruitful as the women were reluctant to divulge the details.
But, some residents in Canacona are convinced that the returns are lucrative. “A salaried person is prominently seen engaged in such activities in Canacona town and it is evident that locals are seeing the monetary benefits and have taken up the trade to collect empty plastic bottles,” said a source.
The source added that some plastic bottle collectors have even entered into an agreement with some restaurant owners, who readily allow them to pick up and take away the empty plastic bottles left behind by their customers.
Such was the demand to collect plastic waste that the Agonda coast witnessed a competition of sorts among plastic bottle collectors during the recent tourism season.
At the start of the tourism season, some persons from Salcete were noticed visiting various parts along Canacona taluka’s coastline, making deals with restaurant, hotel and shack operators to bag the rights to collect empty plastic bottles.
“Many empty plastic bottles collectors are careful to avoid other thrash and are only interested in plastic bottles. Ragpickers also visit our residential areas and take away plastic bottles without paying anything in return. But they are ready to pay a reasonable amount for other items,” said Savio Fernandes of Agonda.
The demand for plastic bottles shoots up during the tourism season, given the large consumption of bottled water, and this generates considerable competition among the various collectors.
The move to collect plastic bottles has been largely welcomed in Canacona taluka.
Residents believe that ragpickers and plastic collectors are a blessing in disguise as they help get rid of the unwanted materials and plastics from the taluka.
“Without these collectors, we have no means to dispose off plastic waste and people are then forced to dispose the waste by setting it ablaze, which is a very unsafe practice,” said Subhash Mahale from Poinguinim.
When contacted, newly-elected Canacona Municipal Council Chairperson Simon Rebello also welcomed the move to collect plastic bottles.
“Even though the CMC has recommenced the garbage treatment plant, which caters to all types of garbage/waste, we welcome efforts by some people to collect empty plastic bottles. We have no problem with this initiative. However, we are trying to organize special plastic collection drives to eliminate plastic strewn in many locations of the municipality,” Rebello added.
