Plastic waste is piling up in East Sumba
Plastic litter is spreading along roads and around homes. Our billboards in Waingapu raise awareness, but communities need regular waste collection.
This is what plastic waste in East Sumba looks like outside someone’s home. I took this photo this morning. Walk a little farther and you see the same thing again. Over the past two years, as more shops have opened and more goods come wrapped in single-use plastic, I’ve watched the waste pile up. The shops have arrived. The collection trucks haven’t kept up.
Plastic waste in East Sumba is a public health issue
Rubbish left around homes can attract rats. Rain can spread water contaminated by the urine of infected animals, exposing people to leptospirosis. A photo can’t tell us whether the bacteria are present. We don’t need to wait for people to get sick before collecting rubbish from where they live.
In Waingapu, we put up large billboards about sorting waste. We can show people how to sort their rubbish. But a sign cannot send a truck down a road. What are families supposed to do with what they’ve sorted if nobody comes to collect it?
We’re asking the district authorities to publish a collection schedule, extend it to communities outside town and make safe disposal available. Retailers have a part to play too: cut unnecessary packaging and help take it back. People should be able to ask a simple question, and get an answer: when will you collect the waste on our road?
