Plastic 'currency' fuels sustainable economy on Colombia's pacific coast

Tourists and locals collect garbage on a paradisiacal beach along Colombia's Pacific coast, which is affected by pollution, poverty and violence.

The waste is transformed into chairs for a local school. Additionally, children who collect the plastic on their own initiative receive coins made from the same material, which can be exchanged for books in a library or to buy school supplies. The majority Afro-descendant region lacks an adequate waste management and pollution control system to preserve its lush nature.