Turning Plastic Trash Into Cash in Haiti

Soda and soap bottles don’t belong in the sea, but it’s too often where they end up. In fact, experts estimate that an entire garbage truck worth of plastic hits our oceans every minute—the vast majority of it coming from developing nations like Haiti. To alleviate the problem, the Plastic Bank pays people to collect plastic waste that can be recycled and reused. Richardson Gustave oversees the organization’s daily operations around his home city of Port-au-Prince, coordinating transportation and inspection, and ensuring that collectors have the equipment needed to complete this vital task.