Metal recycling in Burundi protects water from toxic waste

DW (English)

In Burundi, millions don't have access to a clean drinking supply. Pollution is part of the problem. DW meets people who collect scrap metal to stop it from leaching toxic chemicals into groundwater and creating useful products.

Transcript

00:00These men are disassembling carpets, and in doing so, they are contributing to environmental

00:07protection in Burundi.

00:11Because the small East African country lacks proper waste management, all too often, old

00:17cars or carpets end up in the environment.

00:20Rust, oil, and a range of toxic substances pose a threat to ecosystem and human health.

00:28And this backyard business is part of a change that is happening in Burundi.

00:36Once these vehicles are dismantled, we separate the metals such as cast iron and aluminium.

00:42But it's important that we don't mix or combine them with other materials, like oil.

00:47We carefully sort the metals for the factory and set aside the rest.

00:58After years of neglect, recycling is gaining traction in Burundi.

01:02People are realising that what is considered waste can actually be a valuable resource.

01:07George Nkunzimana, who runs a scrap heap, knows that raising awareness is key.

01:13My friends, you need to explain to the villagers that this metal waste is very dangerous if

01:21not handled properly.

01:22There are health hazards that are caused by such waste.

01:26We need to collect it to earn money and protect the environment.

01:33Burundi lies on Lake Tanganyika in East Africa.

01:36Holding 16% of the planet's fresh water, it is the second largest lake by volume in the

01:42world.

01:43But littering and a lack of recycling facilities threaten the ecological balance and public

01:48health around the lake.

01:50Dangerous waste that's being dumped close to or directly into rivers is particularly

01:54concerning as it can pollute the drinking water of millions.

01:59Professor Remy Marie Nkunzina detected toxic heavy metals in drinking water samples.

02:09When it comes to human health, we need to monitor heavy metals, particularly lead, arsenic,

02:17mercury and cadmium.

02:24These heavy metals can cause severe immune deficiencies, infertility or cancer.

02:33Lead is concerning because it is carcinogenic and is found in the lake water.

02:40Lake Tanganyika serves as a fresh water source for 95% of people living in Bujumbura and

02:46other towns by the lake like Rumonge and Nyanza Lake.

02:54So this is a threat that we need to take seriously.

02:58It's important that we monitor the increased levels of lead and other heavy metals in Lake

03:03Tanganyika.

03:11Collecting scrap metal in recycling hubs like this one ensures that valuable metals are

03:15being reused and, more importantly, that dangerous substances don't pollute the drinking

03:21water for millions of people.

03:23But raising awareness is not always as easy as it might seem in theory.

03:32This work requires patience.

03:34We have to go through villages where scrap metal is scattered and some people are reluctant

03:39to part with it.

03:44This team prepare today's delivery for their customer.

03:49The collected metal ends up here in this steel plant run by an experienced company based

03:54in India.

03:57Here the recycled metal gets sorted once more with the help of heavy machinery and eventually

04:06melted down and molded into new products.

04:15Each day the plant recycles 40 tons of metal into steel bars which can then be processed

04:20further.

04:28The most popular products are high quality steel rods.

04:31They are commonly used to build reinforced concrete buildings.

04:41The rods meet international standards and they are also deployed on construction sites

04:46closer to home like this one next to Lake Tanganyika.

04:54And here in this suburb of Bujumbura there is further proof that an olca can have more

04:59than one life.

05:01Some of the plant's material surplus goes to these metal craftsmen who make handcrafted

05:06cooking pots and stoves.

05:12We get scraps and sheets from the plant and we use them to make our products.

05:16That's much better than polluting the lake of course.

05:24And the customers seem satisfied.

05:27This woman is happy with the new store for her business made entirely of recycled materials.

05:34The increase in awareness raising and establishment of small recycling businesses alongside major

05:39industrial facilities is a huge improvement and helps reduce pollution in Burundi.

05:46Promoting conservation issues in the densely populated and growing country is crucial.

05:52The Burundian government and the UN's Environment Programme want to set up more recycling

05:57facilities.

05:58While the European Union is also helping to set up a network of water quality monitoring

06:03stations to keep the world's longest freshwater lake clean and its biodiversity intact.

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