But his work, despite being unappreciated by the public, is actually compensating for their ignorance and laziness.  Approximately 600 tonnes of plastic are disposed of in Kampala everyday, of which the vast majority litter the grounds and clog vital sewage systems. People like Isma are not the problem—they are part of the solution.

PRI is supplied plastic waste primarily through schools, hospitals and hotels. However, many schools and hospitals do not know about recycling and even those that do end up mixing the plastics with garbage. According to Byarugaba, the recycling industry is capable of earning Shs 15 billion a month, but as a result of this public unawareness or disregard, the industry generates just five percent of this potential.

The government’s attitude, explains Andrew Kyazze Kaggwa, the Policy Officer, Uganda Manufacturers Association, has also been counterproductive. “We appealed to government to give recycling industries some incentives in the form of tax waivers, cheaper electricity tariffs and so on but they just want to ban Buveera everytime,”

Paul Muwanga, Managing Director of Luuka Plastics, a company that recycles 30 tonnes of plastic per month, says he is tired of the government’s arguments. “We are tired of explaining to government the benefits of recycling because they are not listening.”

Muwanga’s despair is not without reason. Finance minister, Syda Bbumba recently tabled a proposal in the 2010/11 budget to fine any Kaveera (plastic bag) dealer Shs 14 million. This is not the first time government is coming out to ban the plastic bags; in the 2009/10 budget vowed to punish the manufacture, use and importation of plastic bags, second hand refrigerators and computers. The ban was highly contested by traders and manufacturers and ultimately was not implemented.

A second challenge to the recycling industry stems from a general attitude of apathy from the public. “We intend to push for higher prices for a kilo of plastic so that people can be interested in collection,” says Kaggwa, “but the people are not interested in the collection idea at all. Everyone dumps plastic bottles, bags everywhere and they are not bothered at all.”

A 2004 National Environment Authority report, stated that 51% of garbage is left uncollected thereby ending up dumped in drainage and sanitary drainage channels, natural water courses, manholes, underdeveloped plots and roadsides among other unfit places (NEMA, 2004). In most slum areas, people just wait for nightfall and dump their waste, especially polythene bags and other plastic waste anyhow which clogs drainage channels like Nakivubo and sewerage systems.

Alice Nayebare, a resident of Katanga admits that she has dumped gabbage containing polythene bags and other plastics in the middle of the road or in trenches which are part of the drainage system. She admits that she is not aware that it affects the environment because for her she thinks it somehow finds its way in its place.

“I at times wake up very early and dump the garbage in the middle of the roads. There, I do not have to pay for it and cars normally step on it and somehow it disappears,” she says. “But in rainy seasons I always dump it in trenches and it gets carried away.”

Although this out of sight out of mind mentality might work for Nayebare, it doesn’t work for the environment. Gideon Badagamawa, an expert on environment and natural resources, explains that plastic is non biodegradable and therefore takes thousands of years to disintegrate into even small particles there by affecting soils.

“Over 50% imports of food come to Africa not because we cannot produce food but because our soils have degenerated partly because they are chocked with such dangerous substances,” Badagamawa says. “But plastic does not only stop at that. When it is burnt it emits pollutants like carbon dioxide that destroy the ozone layer. Skin cancer cases have increased because with a destroyed ozone layer we are exposed to ultra violet rays.”

Badagamawa adds that well managed recycling programs can reduce pollution and the use of virgin resources, while also decreasing the amount of garbage and the need for landfill space.

However, in poor countries like Uganda reducing plastic usage is not an easy task. For instance, Uganda manufactures warned that banning plastics, which are largely used for packaging, would increase costs of production and thus prices of consumer goods.

There is still hope in the recycling industry that if the government does not ban plastics, the industry can develop. Uganda Plastic Manufacturers and Recycling Association intend to continue to lobby the government for support and institutions like the National Environment Management Agency to help sensitise the public.

As of now that help has not been forthcoming.