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.
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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.