CAMBIA Y SIEMBRA VIDA: RECYCLING CAMPAIGNS IN PLAYA DEL CARMEN
Jáaal Káak Náab Grupo Playa A.C. is an environmental association whose name means “Beside the Sea” in Mayan. Its main mission is environmental protection, focusing on solid waste, sea turtles and native flora. The association was founded five years ago and the “Cambia y Siembra Vida” (Change and Sow Life) campaign was launched in November 2020.
Liane Ake is the president of this non-profit association and has organized several waste collection drives in which, as a novel incentive, people are given plants as a gift in exchange for the waste they bring in.
The campaigns were first launched in the municipality of Solidaridad (Playa del Carmen), and this year they have spread to the Othón P. Blanco municipality (Chetumal) and that of Lázaro Cárdenas (Holbox), with impressive results:
- More than 12 tons of recyclable waste have been collected.
- Over 5,000 plants have been donated.
- Over 2,000 people have taken part
The materials collected normally include:
- Plastics such as PET, HDPE, plastic plates, bags, water and soda bottles, glasses, cream containers, shampoo bottles and toys.
- Paper, cardboard and Tetra Pack, such as notebooks, books, magazines, cereal boxes, teabag and all kinds of other boxes, shoeboxes, etc. (They must be dry, crushed and clean).
- Aluminum cans and metal waste such as cans of tuna, chilies and soft drinks, pots and pans, cutlery, etc. (They must be dry and clean).
- Electronic devices and domestic appliances such as TVS, blenders, toasters, microwave ovens, stereos, radios, remote controls, cables, cell phones and toys.
- Burnt cooking oil (in sealed bottles).
- Batteries (in a bottle).
- Cigarette butts (in a bottle).
All the waste received must be separated, clean, empty and crushed. On handing over your waste you can choose what gift plants you prefer: kitchen herbs, edible or decorative plants, and young trees.
A central aim of the campaign is to create awareness, educate people to recycle their waste at home, and show them how to stop generating garbage, so as to encourage them to take part in solving one of the biggest problems humanity faces, the generation of waste, much of which ends up in the sea.
Recycling is crucial because it’s a way of reducing water and energy use, while also mitigating CO2 emissions. It’s also very important to reuse many single-use products.
Let’s make recycling a habit! Come and take part in these campaigns to look after our environment!
You can follow this non-profit on social media to find out when the next campaigns will be coming to your area.
Jáaal Káak Náab Grupo Playa A.C.
https://www.facebook.com/AcJaaal/
FOR INFORMATION ON PLANT DONATIONS, PLEASE CALL OR SEND AN EMAIL TO:
Tel. 984-276-7088
