Where does the plastic go that's recycled in Costa Rica??

What is garbage for many, can be useful to others; the contaminated plastic which is recycled in Costa Rica is exported to Japan where it is used as raw material to manufacture parts for cars, pipe lines and sleepers from the train tracks.

The Foundation Limpianos Nuestros Campos works together with municipalities, to give proper treatment to the packaging of agrochemicals.

So far this year, they have exported over 84 tons of material to the Asian market.

The main objective of the program CampoLimpio and Ciudad Agro is the collection of empty pesticide containers and training in good agricultural practices respectively.

The foundation promotes recycling through Triple Wash campaign where donors indicated material procedure prior to delivery to the plastic collection centers.

Limpianos Nuestros Campos has four collection centers in Guápiles, Pacayas, La Garita de Alajuela, Pital and regional management of the Ministry of Agriculture also plans to open in Zarcero, Bagaces, Perez Zeledon, Nandayure and Guatuso.

The project was developed in 2004, but it was not until 2008 that the collection was over 4000 kilos per month. Now it collects about 17,000 kilos per month.

The organization hopes to increase the collection each year, in order to get to 95% of the plastic that is generated at the field level. At this time, it’s at 22%, which means about 150 tons a year.

“Spreading the word about these initiatives is important, so that the fields of our country are increasingly free of these materials, of which there has been no proper disposal,” said Luis Diaz Matarrita, Foundation CEO.

Locally, this material is also used for making plastic and wooden fence posts.

Among the ideas raised by the foundation, work in collecting metal, cardboard and contaminated glass is being considered.

Source: Costa Rica North