Zhejiang Province, east China - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Chen Guanghui, co-founder of Zhejiang Blue Circle Technology Co.,Ltd. (overlaid with shot 2):
"If (marine) debris has value, it's no longer waste, it becomes a resource."
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2. Various of Chen Guanghui, co-founder of Zhejiang Blue Circle Technology Co., Ltd., at marine garbage recycling station
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3. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Chen Guanghui, co-founder of Zhejiang Blue Circle Technology Co., Ltd.(overlaid with shots 4-8):
"If we can turn marine debris into raw materials for auto parts, or fabric for clothing, then the value of this marine debris will far exceed traditional recycling methods. As long as we can get premium prices, this value can flow back to the waste collectors, giving them incentive to collect this marine debris."
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4. Various of reshaped marine debris
5. Various of clothes, scarf made from recycled waste
6. Various of plastic garbage
7. Exterior of marine garbage recycling station
8. Various of fishermen collecting marine debris
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9. Chen holding umbrella
10. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Chen Guanghui, co-founder of Zhejiang Blue Circle Technology Co., Ltd. (overlaid with shots 11-12):
"Making marine debris valuable, using the power of commerce to achieve clean oceans."
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11. Various of Chen talking with locals
12. Various of marine debris
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13. Aerial shots of fishing boats, islands, sea

A Chinese technology company in the eastern coastal province of Zhejiang is leading the charge for sustainable ocean governance, championing innovative solutions to tackle this global challenge.

Chen Guanghui, co-founder of Blue Circle Technology, recognized the challenge of higher costs in producing goods from marine plastic debris compared to fresh plastic. This inspired him to develop a new business model that transforms ocean waste into high-value resources.

"If (marine) debris has value, it's no longer waste, it becomes a resource," he said.

According to Chen, the same plastic bottle is worth half a cent when collected on land, but three cents when retrieved from the ocean. This price gap reshaped his entire approach.

The company’s system incentivizes coastal fishermen to collect ocean litter, with high-value end products funding the front-end collection.

"If we can turn marine debris into raw materials for auto parts, or fabric for clothing, then the value of this marine debris will far exceed traditional recycling methods. As long as we can get premium prices, this value can flow back to the waste collectors, giving them incentive to collect this marine debris," he said.

"Making marine debris valuable, using the power of commerce to achieve clean oceans," Chen said.