Some developed western countries auction off their trash. A number of important companies compete with one another to buy the trash. The benefits from such auctions are obvious: they generate money and save the environment from pollution.
Trash in undeveloped countries, unlike that in developed ones, often contains large amounts of usable materials. In gulf countries there is little difference between trash containers and oil barrels.
At the time as we see the average European produce half a kilo of unusable trash, we see in the gulf countries containers full of meat and fresh food, not counting all the other items. Our neighbor’s trash can is full of usable materials. One day someone found a computer that could be repaired for only 200 riyals. Often there are toys in the trash that, if fixed, could bring a smile and hours of happiness to poor children in many Muslim countries.
This has encouraged some people to dig in the trash containers day and night, in search of something that can still be used. It would be better if officials studied this and copy what is done in New York or Tokyo. Not only would these plans save the government huge amounts of money for cleaning every year but also they would generate another source of income. It would save the environment that is killing Jeddah and threatening it with a health disaster. There are three things that will destroy the beautiful city of Jeddah: the lake of sewage, people digging in trash containers and pollution from the chimneys of the desalination plant.
Arab News Features 1 January 2003
