Villagers Now Swap Plastic Garbage for Rice in the Philippines

A village in Muntinlupa, Philippines is trying to tackle the plastic problem by offering its villagers a kilogram (about 2 pounds) of rice in exchange for plastics.

Residents of Bayanan village can receive 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of rice when they exchange 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of plastic waste.

The local government handles the proper disposal of waste or sends them off for recycling, according to Reuters.

“I weighed in at 14 kilos of residuals, so I got 7 kilos of rice grains. This is a big help for us to have one kilo of rice for the day,” Veronica Dolorico, a 49-year-old supporter of the program, told the publication. “I feel that our surroundings are really dirty. If only I could, I would pick up all the plastics along the road when I walk outside.”

The village officials were able to collect 213 kilograms (469 pounds) of trash through its food-for-waste campaign, said village chief Andor San Pedro.

The Philippines is one of the world’s top marine plastic polluters. In July, a Twitter post from Bloomberg listed the Philippines as one of the major countries responsible for polluting the ocean, but many netizens quickly dismissed the blame.

Featured Image Screenshot via YouTube / South China Morning Post

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