Buka biggest ever can-earning!

By MAVIS N. PODOKOLO

BUALA resident Patteson Buka was $3,378 richer yesterday after selling 563kilograms of empty cans to buyers Tin King.

Tin King, a company owned by Northwest Guadalcanal MP Bodo Dettke, is the leading buyer of empty aluminum cans in the country.

“I’ve never earned this big before,” Buka told Island Sun after receiving his cash from Jeff Hou of Tin King yesterday.

“I’ve been collecting and selling empty cans to another buyer since 2001 but this is the biggest earning I’ve made since then,” he added.

From Buala, provincial capital of Isabel, Buka loaded bags of empty cans in a ship and travelled over to Honiara.

Patteson Buka loading his bags of cans into a vehicle at Point Cruz wharf yesterday morning

He arrived yesterday morning, and Hou was at the wharf to meet him.

By afternoon, Vuka was smiling with $3,378 cash in his pocket.

“I’m heading back home tonight,” he said.

“Need to go home and collect more cans.”

According to Hou, this was the biggest purchase they’ve made from a single person.

“Vuka is now our agent in Isable,” Hou said.

“He’s a long-time collector and a consistent client,” he added.

Hou explained MP Dettke decided to establish Tin King as his contribution to cleaning up our city and country of empty aluminum cans.

“We pay $5 a kilo.

“This is the best and highest price anyone could offer,” Hou said.

He encourages low-income earners and those without a job in Honiara to find empty cans for extra cash.

“In doing that, people not only engage in cleaning up our city, but will also earn a bit of income when they sell their cans.”

For Buka, his next can collection plan has been already hatched.

“There were seven beer outlets around the Buala area,” he said.

“On my return, I will put up collection bags at each of the outlet.

“Instead of throwing those empty cans away, people can just drop them in the collection bags.

“In that way, we keep Buala and the surrounding environment clean of empty aluminum cans,” Buka said.

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