Tunisia plastic collectors spread as economic, migration woes deepen

A towel draped over his head, Hamza Jabbari sets bags of plastic bottles onto a scale. He is among Tunisia’s “barbechas”, informal plastic recyclers whose increasing numbers reflect the country’s economic — and migratory — woes.

The 40-something-year-old said he starts the day off at dawn, hunching over bins and hunting for plastic before the rubbish trucks and other plastic collectors come.

“It’s the most accessible work in Tunisia when there are no job offers,” Jabbari said, weighing a…