Recycling of Solid Waste Coastal Cleaning Project Education and Sponsorship
 
Project update
 

Recycling of Solid Waste: "Fabricio Valverde Environmental Park"

Our most challenging program works on reducing the waste generated in populated areas.

The population growth in Galapagos translates into an increase in generation and accumulation of garbage and waste, which must be properly managed to avoid contamination of the environment.

Accumulation of garbage causes serious consequences to the natural ecosystem of the islands.

The Foundation set up and manages the Fabricio Valverde Environmental Park in the town of Puerto Ayora , in Santa Cruz Island , where approximately 18,000 people live.

The Foundation chose this town to set up the Center, since it is the most populated one of the Archipelago.

The Fabricio Valverde Environmental Park is managed through a cooperation agreement between the Galapagos National Park, the Municipality of Santa Cruz and Galapagos Ecuador Foundation.

Paper and cardboard are duly classified, compacted and shipped to the mainland for recycling.


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The recyclables are separated at the Puerto Ayora family homes, and once they arrive to the center these are properly separated at the selection belt.

At the Center, we also have special mill machines that separately grind glass and plastic materials.

Plastic materials are classified and ground. The product is then shipped to the mainland and sold to a company that specializes in recycled material.


Plastic-grinding mill
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Grinding plastic
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Glass is also ground and collected in the Center.



Glass-grinding mil
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Grinding glass
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As a complement to the glass grinding mill the Foundation obtained a special machine for the production of paving stones which are made from ground glass and cement. Local sales will revert into more funding to expand and continue with the project at a larger scale.
 


Ground glass
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Ground plastic
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Also as part of the Recycling program, the Foundation co-sponsors RELUGAL, a program in charge of collecting used oil and shipping it to the mainland for appropriate disposal.


Collecting used oil to send to the mainland
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Our partners in sustainability:



Benefits:

  • Stops the accumulation of solid waste

     



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  • Creates a sense of conservation in the local community.

  • Avoids damage to human health and to the environment.

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    Integral Waste Management System

    Since 2006 the Municipality of Santa Cruz implemented the new system for Waste Management that consist in providing the inhabitants with garbage cans of different colors: a green one for the organic waste; a blue one for recyclables; and a black one for the rest. These are collected and brought to the Recycling Center for further processing.

    With the support of the European Aid, a selection belt and a compost area were built.

    The organic waste is brought to the environmental park and mixed with branches and water and after 6 months it becomes compost.

    The recyclables are properly separated in the selection belt and then all these materials like cardboard, paper, plastic and glass are processed by the personnel of the Galapagos Ecuador Foundation.

    An important part of this project is our involvement with the local population with an input of environmental education. In a joint effort with the Municipality of Puerto Ayora and the Galapagos National Park we carry out an educational program to separate garbage at its origin.

    A very successful door-to-door campaign has been initiated in the town of Puerto Ayora to classify garbage at its origin. The educational campaign was conducted together with the Galapagos National Park and the Municipality. It is aimed at teaching the local community about the process of separation and classification of solid waste and about the collection system. The door-to-door campaign included the work of local volunteers, most of them students; informative material for each household; radio and TV motivational spots, together with an educational campaign in local schools.

    The local community has responded in a very positive way. However, there is a need for more campaigns to reinforce the habit of garbage classification.

    Our partners in sustainability:

      infofge@fundaciongalapagos.org