Recycling Project, March and April, 2014

Our Recycling Project has been in full swing not only at Pop Wuj but also at the Family Support Center in Llanos del Pinal. With the help of the kids we sold 232 lbs of plastic and 47 lbs of glass to a local recycling center on April 1st.

The Family Support Center students have a fun recycling competition amongst themselves each month. The three families that bring in the most plastic are recognized at the mother's meeting at the beginning of the following month. Apart from the competition, the students understand more and more the reasons we recycle and the importance of it. It is a lot to learn and even more to apply, but the concept of reduce, reuse, and recycle is a work in progress.

While earning money is not the point of the project, it is a bonus. Between our two deliveries last month Pop Wuj earned a total of 149 Quetzales, approximately $20 US, to be reinvested into the environmental projects and the Family Support Center.

Jonathan and other students took the initiative to collect bottles on their own without being asked.
They turned a fun hike into a community cleanup.

Students with their recyclable materials collected during our hike.

Dawn, our former Family Support Center coordinator, Carmelina, a teacher at the Family Support Center/Pop Wuj employee, and Yolanda, a scholarship recipient, do a recycling run.

Pop Wuj recycles a variety of materials at a number of private recycling centers in Xela.  The paper, tin, and aluminum is usually recycled near the center of town at Don Tito's.  On March 27th, employees, volunteers, and coordinators carried 3 lbs of tin, 8 lbs of aluminum, and 46 lbs of mixed paper to Don Tito's.  We sold the materials for a total of 43 Quetzales (about $6 US). We also resell plastic jugs at the market to be reused.

Coordinators, recycling delight! 

Family Support Center kids and Gustavo,  a teacher, load plastic collected by the students in Llanos de Pinal.

The April 1st delivery of plastic and glass earned Pop Wuj 97 Quetzales (about $12 US).

Recip, one of the recycling centers, packages and ships the materials.