Pope Francis met and praised the fishermen who collected and recycled trash at sea in the Vatican today.

"I especially appreciate the ocean cleaning work. This initiative is very important when you have collected large amounts of marine waste, especially plastic waste," Pope Francis told fishermen. from San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy.

The group volunteered to use a fishing net to collect about one ton of rubbish at sea each week and bring them back to the mainland for recycling if possible. 60% of the waste the fishermen get is plastic.

The pope said the project of the San Benedetto del Tronto fisherman group is a great example of how anyone in society can contribute to overcoming global problems. He hopes that action will inspire other social organizations to strengthen their roles and responsibilities for environmental issues.

About 80% of marine waste comes from the mainland, the remaining 20% comes from boats and the fishing industry. A study by the Public Library of Science (PLOS) published in 2015 showed that the Mediterranean Sea contains 1,000-3,000 tons of floating plastic and an undetermined amount on the ocean floor.