Submitted Ideas

Get trash off of small islands

Marine debris is a growing problem around the world. Beach clean-ups have become common practice, with concerned citizens collecting trash from beaches and sending it to local landfills and recycling centers. However, many remote island communities, such as those in Raja Ampat, Indonesia, do not have any waste management facilities, and cannot dispose of plastics and other debris that wash up on their shores. The majority of this trash does not originate in these communities, but they are forced to deal with it, usually by burning it, which releases harmful chemicals and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. We need to develop a better way for these communities to cope with marine debris, which is threatening their ocean-centric way of life.