Bayanan is offering its villagers one kilogram of rice for every two kilograms of plastic, in a bid to educate people how to better dispose of their trash.
The Philippines is one of the world’s top marine plastic polluter, poorly managing its piles of waste and with no laws on packaging production. One-fifth of the population of 170 million live below the poverty line, consuming under USD 241 per month per person.
“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, 49, told Reuters.
The food-for-trash swap has been off to a good start with more than 213 kilograms of plastic waste collected in August, according to village chief Andor San Pedro.
