Bidyanondo Foundation took up an initiative to reduce plastic pollution. At the store, people can exchange the empty containers or bottles of used plastic products and buy daily necessities including rice, pulses, oil, sugar, and salt. Since this creates an incentive structure in terms of the demand of people's daily necessities being met, the environmental pollution will be reduced in coastal areas.
Awareness of the project was raised all over the country. The motivated natives then collected the plastic, brought it to the store, and exchanged it for an equivalent amount of goods. Bidyanondo then transported the plastic and sold it to plastic recycle businessmen. They used the funds to buy more goods for the store, creating a truly sustainable solution.
As a result of the powerful idea, there has been a behavioral shift and the beach is significantly cleaner. Plastic is now valued as an alternate currency on the island.
