Aerial photo taken on Nov 25, 2021 shows the scenery of Lixiang Lake National Wetland Park in Nanchuan district, southwest China's Chongqing municipality. (PHOTO/XINHUA)

NAIROBI -  The United Nations Environment Program on Monday honored China's Blue Circle environmental initiative with the 2023 Champions of the Earth award - the UN's most prestigious environmental recognition -- for its innovative marine plastic treatment technology.

To date, the Blue Circle initiative has successfully gathered over 10,700 tonnes of marine debris, making it China's largest marine plastic waste program

This year, five recipients from a pool of 2,500 nominations, were honored. Among them was the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa, whose efforts have contributed to the global fight against plastic pollution, according to a statement released by the Nairobi-based agency.

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Honored in the Entrepreneurial Vision category, the Blue Circle initiative uses blockchain technology and the Internet of Things to comprehensively monitor the entire lifecycle of plastic pollution, encompassing collection, regeneration, re-manufacturing and re-sale.

To date, it has successfully gathered over 10,700 tonnes of marine debris, making it China's largest marine plastic waste program.

This results from collaboration involving more than 6,000 individuals and over 200 enterprises from China's eastern province of Zhejiang.