ON Sept. 14 and 28, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance will host two plastic sorting events at the 13 Fishermen Pavilion on Beach Road in Garapan.
Joseph Nekaifes, a MINA program assistant, said they can accommodate everyone who wants to volunteer.
At the event, the plastic bottles, food containers, and more collected by MINA staff from various schools around the island will be prepared and sorted in order to pass through MINA’s 3-in-1 Plastic Recycling Machines.
Volunteers will be instructed on how to recognize Type 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 plastics. MINA staff will help volunteers prepare Types 2, 4, and 5 to be recycled into rulers, plates, bowls, and the other items that the 3-in-1 Plastic Recycling Machine can create.
The remaining, unrecyclable plastic will be discarded.
“Plastics are a concerning material in the environment,” Nekaifes said. “Even after years of deterioration, they never fully decompose but rather break down into smaller pieces called microplastics. Tackling plastics and giving it a second life helps to reduce the amounts that would otherwise be sent to the landfill.”
For more information, call (670) 233-7333 or email minaoutreach@gmail.com/.
