Instead Of Tossing It Back, 5,000 Indian Fishermen Now Collect Ocean Plastic To Build Roads

While the world becomes more and more aware of plastic pollution, a group of 5,000 fishermen who rely on the “Mother Sea” to survive have taken it upon themselves to clean up the oceans — and use the piles of waste to repair roads and create jobs.

So far, they have collected a whopping 65 metric tons worth of trash. After urging a few of their local government agencies to help, they managed to facilitate the creation of a new recycling center — the first in the region.

The Department for Women’s Empowerment, created to help women find employment, then hired an all-female crew to run the facility and sort through the plethora of assorted plastics. The most damaged plastic is shredded into a fine confetti that is sold to local construction crews. These workers then use it to strengthen the asphalt for new roads.

Not only has the entire town embraced the initiative, the innovative solution has spread to other seaside communities in the area, and the fishermen have adopted a leading role in helping them convert the plastic into dollars.