GREEN PATROL

CASE STUDY The Capacities and Needs of the Roma Residents of the Village of BANGLADESH

Novi Sad 22.03.2010.

1. Task The aim of this study is to reveal the current situation in the Roma village called Bangladesh regarding the collection and distribution of secondary raw materials, and to determine the needs and capacities of the villagers when it comes to processing the secondary raw materials, in order to strengthen their economic situation and improve their standard of living.

2. Current situation the Roma settlement Bangladesh is located along the Novi Sad Rumenka highway, two kilometres outside of Novi Sad. It was founded in 1972, when a fire broke out in a Roma settlement in Novi Sad. Roughly one hundred families were relocated to a farm belonging to the Centre for social work of Novi Sad that was adapted for that purpose. Through its activities since 2003, the Ecumenical Humanitarian Organization (EHO) has helped the settlement get basic infrastructure in place. EHOs Roma Resource Centre recently secured around 140,000 Euros for the purpose of providing electrical energy for the sixty-nine families that reside there. The money has been spent on project planning and implementation, the purchase of necessary construction and electrical materials, and the education of the Roma users.

In March of 2010, Zelena Patrola spent some time in the settlement, gathering information about the quality of life of the residents and the environmental conditions they live in. The main activity of most of the residents is collecting and selling secondary raw materials (recyclable waste). Objects made of metal are collected the most, followed by paper and glass. The gathered waste is stored in the settlement until larger quantities have been collected and is then sold. Waste that is not suitable for sale is thrown out at the edges of the settlement, leaving the settlement surrounded in trash. The municipal waste disposal service has provided the settlement with one large garbage container which had not been emptied for over three months at the time of Zelena Patrolas field visit.

In addition to collecting recyclable waste, the residents of the settlement also perform certain types of primary processing of the secondary raw materials. This includes cutting larger metal of objects (such as car bodies, household appliances, etc.) into smaller parts. In order to obtain pure non-ferrous metals, the villagers separate the metal components from the rubber and plastic elements they are often combined with by burning the waste to melt the plastic and rubber. This crude sort of secondary raw material processing is a major burden on the health of the people in the settlement and the surrounding area, as well as a serious source of environmental pollution. When the waste is burned, large amounts of carcinogenic substances are released into the air; smoke carries them into the surrounding villages, and they settle on top of the arable land in the area. The residents display no interest in farming or in any type of agricultural activity. The land around the settlement is mostly covered in waste.

In conversation, the villagers seem friendly, communicative, and willing to cooperate. They are aware of their situation and conscious of the possibilities and potentials that lie in more advanced methods of gathering and processing secondary raw materials and then selling them to recycling centres.

While the previous municipal government was in power, they introduced a ban on horse-drawn carts in the city, which made collecting recyclable waste significantly more difficult for the Roma, many of whom had used such carts to gather waste. The waste is now collected using bicycles and tricycles with improvised, homemade trailers, or motorcycles with trailers. Only a few families own a motorcycle, and the rest use bicycles or go on foot. Depending on what transportation device they own, they collect waste from garbage dumps and containers in the city or from nearby villages.

3. Research Results In order to obtain precise information about the potentials and needs of the Roma community in Bangladesh with regards to the collection and processing of secondary raw materials, Zelena Patrola conducted a survey. The survey contained questions that helped to quantitatively and qualitatively describe the capacities and needs of the community to improve their current activities and thus their standard of living. The survey was completed by forty-eight households, with the head of each household providing information about all the family members.

Altogether, information was gathered about 230 residents of the village, most under the age of forty. The majority of those older than thirty have received either no education at all or have failed to complete elementary school. Children younger than fourteen are mostly in school. Most of the residents have never been permanently employed; only two families reported a family member with a permanent job. Some residents perform seasonal jobs, but the main source of income for 75% of those surveyed was recycled waste collection. Social aid is the main source of income for 16%. When asked whether their earnings are sufficient to meet their needs, 42% said not at all, and 56% said somewhat. The survey showed that the small percentage of residents that is not currently involved in secondary raw resource gathering would not be interested in that job, even if the conditions were better. In 10% of those families that gather waste, children also participate. The secondary raw material primarily gathered is scrap metal, mentioned by 77% of respondents; it is also the most valuable. Fifteen percent named paper or glass as their primary type of recyclable waste.

When asked what would be necessary to increase the income received by selling waste, 66% of those surveyed said better transportation of their own, while 24% considered access to waste and certainty of sale most important. By better transportation, most meant tricycles or motorcycles with trailers. In conversation, a large number indicated a preference for tricycles and bicycles over motorcycles due to a lack of drivers licences. Although municipal rules forbid horse-drawn carts, 12% of the residents continue to use them to collect waste in the nearby villages where they are permitted. Six percent lack any transportation device and collect waste on foot. The rest use bicycles, tricycles, or motorized vehicles, with or without trailers.

When asked whether they have encountered any harassment in the course of waste collection, 31% said no. The rest reported harassment by hooligans, citizens, and police, in that order or frequency. The police harassment was mostly due to a lack of driving permits and proper documents. Eighty-five percent of respondents believe that their collection of waste is important for the city, and many commented that they are helping to clean the city. The rest answered that they did not know whether it was important; none said that it was not.

According to 62% of the respondents, processing secondary raw materials can increase their value, but 10% disagreed with that statement. Eight-five percent said that they are interested in processing the waste so as to sell it at a higher price, and 77% went on to say that if it was made possible, they would definitely do it. The processing tools that were the most frequently mentioned as being needed were those for cutting and compacting metal. Currently, the average monthly earnings from gathering and selling recyclable waste for each family are around 7,000 RSD. Most collect waste in the city of Novi Sad (73%), while 23% of those who gather waste also rely on dumps in nearby villages.

4. Identification of the main problems (based on survey results and observer notes from the field visit to the village) 1. Resale value The value of the secondary raw materials depends on the quantity, or rather the weight, of the materials being sold at a time. The amount of waste that can be collected with a bicycle (the most commonly used vehicle) gets a considerably lower price than larger quantities would. This, in order to receive a better price, it is best to wait until a certain quantity of waste has accumulated. However, given the difficult financial situation of majority of the people in the settlement, most are not able to wait; they are forced to sell what they have collected each day in order to cover

their living expenses. 2. Transportation - The vehicles used by the villagers are in very bad condition and have small carrying capacities, and they are therefore unsuitable for collecting large quantities of waste. 3. Processing of secondary raw materials the residents of Bangladesh are not well educated about the methods and possibilities of processing recycled waste, and they lack the tools necessary. 5. Proposed solutions (on the basis of the indentified problems) 1. Resale value a) Providing those who collect recyclable waste with more efficient means of transport, so that they may collect larger quantities of waste and receive a better price. b) Providing the settlement with a scale which can precisely and accurately measure the amount of collected waste, thus ensuring that the villagers receive fair payment. c) Opening a purchase centre within the settlement that would buy the waste directly from those who collect it. This would eliminate middlemen and shorten the distances the villagers need to cover in order to sell their gathered waste, thus giving them more time for collection and allowing them to accumulate larger quantities. It would also create several job openings within the village. 2. Transportation - Providing those who are interested in collecting waste with vehicles which have the capacity to carry larger quantities of secondary raw materials. The new vehicles provided would also be in accordance with the new traffic laws, which would greatly contribute to the safety of all persons on the road. It would be best to provide the villagers with bicycles and tricycles with trailers. 3. Processing secondary raw materials although a large number of respondents indicated a willingness to process the waste they collected, the settlement lacks the resources necessary for larger processing systems. The possible solutions are: a) Supplying equipment which would shred metal into smaller pieces thus enabling easier transport of the bulkier waste. b) Supplying a furnace to melt rubber and plastic components c) Supplying a machine for compressing paper and plastic d) Educating the community about the possibilities involving processing secondary raw materials.

6. Conclusion - First, it is important to note that the new environmental protection laws dictate

that only registered companies will be allowed to collect and process secondary raw materials. Thus, any type of collaboration with Roma communities which primarily focus on collecting secondary raw materials, including this one, on this issue will have to be concluded within the next few years. There is no sense in planning and implementing projects that would be on a longer timescale. An immediate priority should be providing the settlement with at least two garbage containers and ensuring that the trash is regularly picked up by the citys waste management services. Otherwise, non-recyclable waste components will continue to accumulate in the village and its vicinity. Planting a green belt around the community would be practical in several ways. It would shield the settlement from strong winds that tend to blow in the area, it would discourage the disposal of trash onto the surrounding fields, and it would provide a more pleasant environment for the residents in the summer. Despite the survey results, which indicate a high level of interest in advanced processing of secondary waste, our verbal communication with the residents has led us to believe that most of them are currently not ready to participate in processing secondary raw materials. Their immediate interest lies in making the collection of waste more efficient. Therefore, the first steps should involve providing them with better means of transport and with personal equipment such as gloves, helmets, and appropriate clothing. The most interested residents should also be educated about waste recycling and processing.