The ocean is an integral part the lives of the people in the Mentawai Islands, they depend on it for their livelihood. The location of our Centre, being so close to the beach, means we have the opportunity to try and clear up plastic waste from the ocean that has been deposited on the beach. We know we’re only making a minute dent on what is a huge problem for the oceans of the world, but it feels good to think the plastic we collect will be recycled.
The job of collecting the plastic, however, is just a small part of the process. Once collected, it needs to be cleaned, sorted, bagged and sent off to recyclers on the mainland. This is where our team and friends come into their own, it’s tiring, repetitive work but it’s always done with a smile and occasional sing-a-long! Of the plastic that we are currently recycling, just over half comes from the beach cleans, it’s an incredible eye-opener into how much plastic there is in the ocean, let’s keep the oceans clean!
