Businessman builds boat to collect trash

A businessman who once made a living from the ocean now spends his time and money on scooping trash from its waters.

The garbage collection ship Canghai No 9 has just returned from its 438th mission and is moored in the port of the Shengsi Islands in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province.

Measuring 16.5 meters long by 3.6 meters wide, the ship has a loading capacity of 21 metric tons. Its deck holds a big basket of trash, including plastic bags, bottles and disposable meal boxes.

Its owner, Yang Shichai, is busy moving trash collected from the ocean off the ship. Its final destination is a garbage treatment plant on the island.

Designed by Yang, the trash-collecting ship cost him about 530,000 yuan ($80,800) to build.

Since it was put into use in May 2016, the ship has retrieved more than 2,000 cubic meters of garbage from the ocean.

"I've earned some money from the ocean. I just want to give back what I've gained," said Yang, who has tanned skin and scars on his hands from working long hours outdoors every day.

Growing up on the shore, he started a refueling service for ships at sea at the age of 18. Later, he set up a company dedicated to recycling the oil residue.

But his focus shifted from making a profit to cleaning up trash because of a video.

"A dead whale was found in the Pacific and its belly was full of trash," Yang said. "The horrible scene from that video stuck in my mind."