Elizabeth
Philippines
At 68, Elizabeth sweeps the streets of Manila by day and battles ocean pollution by conscience — read how this widowed grandmother turned plastic collecting into a way to feed her family, fight floods, and find joy again.
Elizabeth is a Plastic Bank member from Baseco Compound, Port Area of Manila. She is a widow and works as a street sweeper in her community.
She shares how itbothers her deeply to see anyone throwing trash into the sea. She can't help but tell them off, saying that that bad habit is causing the floods that bring so many problems to the community.
Even at 68, she works hard to put food on the table for her grandchildren. For her, collecting enough plastic to buy 2 kilograms of rice makes her so happy because she can prepare that along with some dried fish. Aside from receiving a push cart from Plastic Bank to help with her collection, she feels blessed to have also received a 35-kilo bag of rice as an incentive and a tablet that her grandson can use for school. She has always considered herself a person with a positive outlook in life, but she says she is even happier now as a Plastic Bank member who can make a living while helping clean the environment.