North Sipora

North Sipora Island (part of the Mentawai Islands group) located 150 kilometres off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia, has a population of 12000 and 8 resorts. The main industries are fisheries and increasingly tourism. Single use plastics, such as cups, straws and bottles, are used in abundance throughout the community. As there is no organised plastic waste management system in North Sipora, waste materials are either burnt or dumped. Plastic waste that is dumped often finds its way into rivers and the ocean, especially after heavy rains or a storm, harming all marine life and affecting local community health .

A Perfect Foundation is a For-Social Change Organisation, created by surfers to educate and empower local communities in remote global regions to make a sustainable difference. The Education and Conservation Centre is working together with local community members to help reduce plastic waste, developing capacity building skills through workshops, environmental education and resource recovery. Recently they have expanded their environmental program to include a recycling collection depot for local businesses and established a reliable transportation route back to the mainland recycling centre. Working in partnership with Plastic Collective, the foundation will continue to expand on their program. An onsite plastic processing plant, including the Shruder machine, tools and working with plastics training will provide the means to reduce transportation costs of bulky plastic to the mainland, increase current profits and create a more sustainable future for the whole community.