Marine debris recycling initiative on Desroches

Marine debris washing ashore is a never-ending issue that affects all beaches of Seychelles. Since July 2016 IDC, ICS and Desroches Island Development Limited (DIDL) have joined forces to clean beaches with as many as 40 staff volunteering for this exercise. After three months,  enough recycling to fill a freight barge have been collected for return to Mahe. At Mahe, PET bottles are put through a flaking machine for export to India to be recycled into new PET bottles or used to make other product such as sports clothing. Aluminum drinks cans are crushed into bales and also exported to India where they are melted to make new drink cans or other aluminum products. At Desroches no fewer that 3,450 PET bottles and aluminum drink cans were collected in the latest effort with funds raised donated to  the Seychelles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals