The first recycling site for plastic bottles that litter Juba’s streets was officially inaugurated on Tuesday.
Juba water industry produces about one million plastic bottles dayly and most of them are dumped along roadsides, burned on the streets or taken to the Yei Road landfill by private companies.
Local NGO Environmental Rehabilitation Program runs ‘Juba Recycles’.
The plant recycled around 80 tons of plastic, equivalent to four million bottles since it started in April operating in the brewery’s grounds.
A number of women are paid to collect empty bottles that junk Juba’s streets and bring them to the recycling site.
The French Embassy in Juba granted almost 376 thousand South Sudanese Pounds to set up the programme.
French Ambassador Christian Bader explained that the embassy was ‘very pleased to support this innovative programme implemented by a local NGO, which tackles such a pressing issue as plastic waste while providing livelihood to women in need.’
Southern Sudan Beverages Limited hosts the recycling plant in its premises and provided equipment and know-how to the ‘Juba Recycles’ programme.