Cauayan City residents exchange plastic waste for rice

FILE: EXCHANGE. Village officials weigh plastic bottles and other plastic waste, which are being exchanged for rice in District 2, Cauayan City, June 21, 2019. The program aims to teach locals proper waste segration. (PNA photo by Villamor Visaya Jr.)

CAUAYAN CITY — Officials in Barangay District 2 here have initiated the “Basura mo, Papalitan ng Bigas D2” project in a bid to teach residents on proper waste segregation.

Village head Paolo Eleazar Delmendo said the project has encouraged locals to surrender their plastic bottles and other plastic wastes in exchange for kilos of rice at their booth located in front of the barangay hall.

Two kilograms of plastic bottles or three kilograms of assorted plastic or one kilogram of plastic wrappers will be replaced with a kilo of rice each.

“Our program has been very effective in alleviating the problem of waste in our village. The barangay is surrounded by business establishments and the people here have been learning to segregate wastes such as plastics and bottles.

Aside from that, poor-but-industrious villagers who need rice to cook have nothing to worry,” Delmendo said.