Jakarta – With a half full bag of plastic bottles, Maya, 40, mingled with thousands of supporters of the People Conscience's Party (Hanura in front of a stage on the main field of Bung Karno Stadium in the Senayan sport complex, Central Jakarta on Sunday.
While the supporters were mesmerized by the performance of pop boy band Letto, Maya cast her eyes downward, searching for any plastic trash she could collect.
"Political rallies like this are always appealing for trash pickers like me. Not because of their entertainment or the political figures who come, but simply because there are so many plastic [bottles] I can collect," Maya told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
Maya said she earned an average of Rp 25,000 (US$2) from collecting trash at campaign rallies. Money, however, was not her main concern.
Instead of collecting as many as plastic bottles as she could, she preferred to go home early after collecting three bags of plastic waste that weighed around 10 kilograms each.
"I walk the city's roads to collect plastic waste from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. everyday. So, if I can finish early, I would love to take a rest and look after my three children," Maya, who lives in makeshift shelter near Sudirman railway station in Central Jakarta, said.
Maya, whose husband has passed away, said she would come to the Senayan complex before noon when the political rally was almost over and people begin to leave the stadium.
"At that time you can see people littering everywhere. Just stand near soft-drink sellers or buses in parking lots, you will witness many people throw away their plastic bottles," she said.
Hasbulah, another rag-picker from South Jakarta, shared the same experience, saying that it was possible to earn additional cash by collecting plastic waste at political rallies.
However, unlike Maya who was willing to walk five kilometers to the biggest stadium in the country, Hasbullah opted to go to smaller rallies at the Blok S football field in South Jakarta, as it is only 15 minutes walk from his home.
"The field is very near to my house. Moreover, I'm a bit worried to go to Senayan as I don't know how many trash-pickers are there," Hasbullah, a resident of the flood prone Kebalen area in Mampang Prapatan, South Jakarta, said.
The Blok S football field can accommodate approximately of 20,000 people, far fewer than Bung Karno Stadium, which can hold more than 120,000 people. The 40-year-old man, whose wife works as a laundry attendant, said he collected an average of three kilograms of plastic waste at each rally.
"It depends on the party holding the rally. If the party is relatively new, I can only get a maximum of three kilograms [of plastic waste]. If the party has many supporters, like the United Development Party (PPP) or the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), I can collect more," he said, adding that he sells the plastic waste for Rp 3,000 per kilogram.
On Sunday, the father of two said he had already collected three kilograms of plastic bottles during the rally of the Democratic Nationhood Party (PDK).
Operators of the venues said they were happy to have the "help" of the trash pickers in cleaning up after the rallies.
Muzamil, an operation official at the Senayan sport complex, said the trash pickers, especially those at Bung Karno Stadium, had contributed significantly, helping him complete his job on time.
"My employees and I have to complete cleaning the stadium before dark because we are not allowed to turn on the stadium lights [to continue cleaning up]," Muzamil told The Post. (hwa)