Cleanup volunteers witness dramatic decrease in aluminium cans recovery

Noriko Baidya, the founder of Island Keepers CNMI, stated that her team saw a dramatic decrease in aluminium cans recovered. Cleanup volunteers discovered fewer soda and beer cans at beaches and other public spaces over the weekend. Baidya and her colleagues clean up beaches and other tourist spots regularly. Director of the Division of Environmental Quality Zabrina Cruz said that this year's cleaning recovered less aluminium cans in almost every area.

The federally funded Recycle Redemption Initiative is a collaboration between the Governor's Office, the Office of Grants Management & State Clearinghouse, the Bureau of Environmental & Coastal Quality, the Office of Planning and Development, the Zero Waste Task Force, and the Department of Public Works.

"What is very interesting is that since the government started converting aluminum cans into cash, the littering of aluminum cans has been drastically reduced," added Noriko Baidya.

The programme gives a five-cent bonus for each aluminium cans collected between April 1 and August 31, 2023. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saipan residents may bring their aluminium cans to the Artman Corp. drop-off centre on Chalan Sisonyan Road in Tanapag.