A recent study showed that the CNMI Public School System distributes 3.5 million plastic water bottles during the school year alone. The Mariana Islands Nature Alliance launching a pilot project to recycle those plastic bottles in an effort to create what they call a "circular economy."

It is an alarming number. Executive Director of Mariana Islands Nature Alliance Roberta Guerrero told KUAM News, "We did some research and with the school lunch program that is provided to all the schools here in Saipan, we got data from the nutrition office at the [Public School System] and just PSS alone distributes 3 and a half million bottles, plastic water bottles, during the school year."

The Mariana Islands Nature Alliance launching the Community Recycles Plastics pilot campaign in an effort to combat the impact. "The concept which is happening is to take those plastic water bottles and recycle them, process them, into usable products," she added.

"Items such as rulers and fish floats...are going to be produced and even LEGO blocks, which I think is really fun."

They're working with various local schools, who will serve as processing centers, to make that happen. Their 3-in-1 machines just arrived and will turn what would have been waste into new products just arrived. The program was initially awarded $725,000 through an American Rescue Plan non-profit award given by the local government. They were hoping to expand and bring the program to Rota and Tinian, but they're only getting $250,000 of that amount due to the deficit. Still, advocates are hard at work to make it the new norm.

Joseph Nekaifes, MINA Program Assistant, said, "It is important because we want to create a circular economy. Right now we buy the bottles, we use them and then we throw them in the trash. We want to create a circular economy so that we are recycling the bottles we are using."