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.
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“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
