BEIJING (AFP) - Used condoms are being recycled into hair bands in southern China, threatening to spread sexually-transmittable diseases they were originally meant to prevent, state media reported Tuesday.
ADVERTISEMENT
In the latest example of potentially harmful Chinese-made products, rubber hair bands have been found in local markets and beauty salons in Dongguan and Guangzhou cities in southern Guangdong province, China Daily newspaper said.
"These cheap and colourful rubber bands and hair ties sell well ... threatening the health of local people," it said.
Despite being recycled, the hair bands could still contain bacteria and viruses, it said.
"People could be infected with AIDS, (genital) warts or other diseases if they hold the rubber bands or strings in their mouths while waving their hair into plaits or buns," the paper quoted a local dermatologist who gave only his surname, Dong, as saying.
A bag of ten of the recycled bands sells for just 25 fen (three cents), much cheaper than others on the market, accounting for their popularity, the paper said.
A government official was quoted as saying recycling condoms was illegal.
China's manufacturing industry has been repeatedly tarnished this year by a string of scandals involving shoddy or dangerous goods made for both domestic and foreign markets.
In response, it launched a public relations blitz this summer aimed at playing up efforts to strengthen monitoring systems.
eh... what do they mean by recycle? like the plastic gets recycled and re-manufactured into hair bands? or actually use used condom as hair bands? haha...
still... pretty disguising... but in china, anything is possible!
Last 20 yrs is being to be proud to be a Chinaman again, but recent incidence of Leaded toys ( since we couldnt get them in gas, we need some, somehow) and all the infamous news, tires coming apart.
At this price is not going to last.
This is giving Ralph Nader something new to write about " Unsafe at any place"
I updated the subject from "This is nasty" to "China recycling used condoms as cheap hair bands".
In the future, please use a more direct subject so that members know something about your posts.
Thanks.
Want to know me more? Add me: http://www.facebook.com/LoyaukeeAdmin
i want to ask HOW they get the used condoms to recycle....
叫d人用完唔好dum個condom & 捐比個間hair band 公司黎循環呀???? 定係叫D dup骨院挖返D客人throw out 既condoms in garbage can to recycle???
原帖由 Alcoholic 於 2007-12-1 14:56 發表
i want to ask HOW they get the used condoms to recycle....
叫d人用完唔好dum個condom & 捐比個間hair band 公司黎循環呀???? 定係叫D dup骨院挖返D客人throw out 既condoms in garbage can to recycle??? ...
Good point, so Traum had a point, these condom must be defects. Cause those factories ought to be making billions of condom so some would be defects.