In an effort to clean beaches, a town in the Philippines has created a unique incentive for locals to collect trash along the shore, per an article published in Selangor Journal.
Officials in Mabini — a town in the Batangas province known for its biodiversity and scuba diving spots — are offering locals a bag of rice in exchange for every bag of trash they collect from the beaches.
Plastic pollution in the area has threatened the region's vibrant marine ecosystem. According to local volunteers, sea turtles and fish have been caught in the plastic waste and mistaking it for food.
When organisms ingest pieces of plastic, the waste can rupture their internal organs and cause intestinal blockages. In fact, the World Wildlife Fund has found that 22% of turtles can die after ingesting just one piece of plastic.
However, the rice-for-trash program has been a big help in removing plastic waste from the area and restoring the ecosystem to its natural state. According to program volunteer Giulio Endaya, locals have collected more than 4.3 metric tons of plastic waste nearly two years since the program's conception.
For every bag of trash collected, the program provides a 1-kilogram bag of rice, which is enough to feed a small family on a daily basis. In total, the program has handed out 2.6 metric tons of rice to residents. As a result, the program is not only protecting the natural environment but also supporting the local community.
"In a month I need four-and-a-half sacks of rice, now all I have to buy is two sacks, which is a big help," Mabini local Janeth Acevedo told Selangor Journal after gathering bags of trash from the beach.
Conservation projects like the rice-for-trash program encourage locals to help clean and preserve marine ecosystems. The more we contribute to environmental initiatives, the more we can move toward a cleaner, more sustainable future.
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