Transforming 1000 Lives through Waste

Our team over in Mantanani Island has been ramping up the effort to strengthen awareness for waste management. We conducted a Waste Management Awareness Workshop which was attended by both adults and children on the island. 

The recipients of the 'Excellent Homes Certificate' were all smiles as their effort to keep up with the programme are celebrated. Without their continuous efforts to keep up with the programme, the programme would not have been a successful one.

On Global Recycling Day on the 18th of March, we also held a plastic magnet demonstration for the children of Mantanani. This is done to educate the children on upcycling plastic waste and to spark an interest in recycling.

We look forward to running more programmes to further strengthen the awareness of waste management and keep Mantanani Island clear of waste.

We are grateful for your continuous support of the programme and the efforts of Mantanani Island's residents.

The year 2022 has been an eventful year as everyone works to recover from the pandemic in every aspect. A new year has come and it is now time to reflect on the past year.

In 2022, we have collected 51408.1kg of food waste, 1673.2kg of plastic bottles, 2642.42kg of aluminum/metal can and glass, 2958kg of general trash/others, and 4109.4kg of plastic trash.

From the 2022 data collection, 82.6% of waste collected is food waste. Through this effort, we can prevent huge nutrient pollutants from coral reefs in Mantanani.

Nutrient and runoff from the island can severely damage our coral reefs by reducing their resilience against warming seas and ocean acidification which lead to the degradation of coral reefs.

Although plastic waste and plastic bottles comprise only 9.3% of waste collected, this waste is visible and stays much longer in our environment compared to organic materials such as food waste. Therefore, this waste management has been able to prevent such waste from ending up in our environment, particularly our ocean. This has also contributed to the cleanliness of the island according to the progress survey conducted in December 2022. 

A total of 72,178 bottles, mainly PET, were successfully recovered from our plastic recycling program.

Despite facing challenges like having their house destroyed by the storm, the residents still ensure that they participate in the waste management programme. Our data shows that at least 69-70 houses are ranked as “Excellent”, 35-36 houses ranked as “Good”.

Houses that ranked Excellent will be issued a certificate of appreciation at the end of the year to motivate them to continue the performance as well as to encourage other households to do better for next year.

Our Progress Survey also shows that 25.8% of respondents agreed that the villages are getting cleaner while another 72.2% said that the cleanliness was better now.

We hope to continue this programme with the support of the residents and generous funders such as yourself. It truly takes a village!