Observation 3

Plastic or plastic? Sachet Culture


Burkina has a sachet culture. They love their sachets (read: black plastic bag). Sachets trickle into practically every facet of life here in this small country. When I go to the boutique on the road in my village to buy a bar of soap or a packet of spaghetti, the shop-owner insists on putting these petît items into a sachet. "No, Moussa, it is okay, I do not need a bag," as I drop the items into my messenger bag. He responds only with a suspicious look, as if he's saying, "silly white guy, who turns down a black sachet?"

What happens to all the sachets these shopkeepers so liberally dispense to the patrons of their boutiques? They eventually become part of the dust-blown landscape of my village. Not long after arriving in this country, we trainees jokingly referred to the black sachet as Burkina Faso's national flower, as the wind would inevitably blow the sachets into a thorny weed or bush. I hope the visual, dismal as it may be, is there.

Two problems here are apparent. First is the belligerent overuse of plastic sachets. Come on, people, this is Africa. Be resourceful. Take your reusable canvas bag to the market to buy your vegetables. The other problem is littering. The Burkinabe (and I feel comfortable making a practically blanket statement here) have no concept of the proper disposal of refuse. The second a candy wrapper or cellophane covering or, you guessed it, black sachet have outlived its primary purpose, it hits the ground. Granted, the severe lack of receptacles could be contributing to the liter crisis here in Burkina. Aside from the biggest cities, trash collection does not exist (even in the big cities, the efforts seem to be feeble).

Not all hope is lost, however. Many artisan associations collect discarded sachets, clean them off, shred them, and create woven materials, such as purses, bracelets, pot holders, you name it, to sell to environmentally-conscious tourists. Many such efforts are made in the artisan community to create art, souvenirs, sculpture, et cetera out of, you guessed it, trash. Genius? Close enough.

However cozy the thought is that some sachets are being rescued from the thorn bushes and the pestilent alleyways of Ouagadougou, this method of "sprucing up" Burkina doesn't begin to scratch the surface. Add to this the suspicion that some artisan associations have been suspected of buying brand new black sachets in bulk from one of the innumerable black sachet vendors, thereby averting the pesky and most certainly odoriferous task of actually cleaning up Burkina's streets. I guess if Multinational Corporations can make a buck from "greenwashing" their products, why not a small-scale artisan association in West Africa? (please note my emphatic drollery).

I will leave this at that. Why? you may be asking. I must pack! I'm flying to the United States of America tonight. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, after 18 months and 9 days in West Africa, I'm coming home. But fret not. I'll be back (in Burkina Faso, that is) in January.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Peace.
j