Recycling in 2015!

Text by Amy Scheuren

On Friday May 9th, we made our first recycling trip of 2015 and earned Q103 or about $13 USD!

The children and youth at the Family Support Center have been collecting plastic bottles and containers for several months.  Last week we loaded the plastic in Llanos del Pinal and brought the full costales (sacks) to Pop Wuj.  It quickly became obvious at Pop Wuj that it was time to clear off the roof terrace and recycle!

Gustavo and the kiddos packing the costales
Photo by Ashley Aue

 

Helping to load the truck in Llanos del Pinal
Photo by Ashley Aue

Loading the truck in Llanos
Photo by Ashley Aue

With the help of a few Pop Wuj students, a former long-term volunteer and University of British Columbia professor, Sylvia, and Wilder, we carried all of the recycling to the street and began loading it onto the truck.

Plastic on the left, metal and glass on the right!
Photo by Amy Scheuren

There's always a way to load everything in one trip!
Photo by Amy Scheuren

Tying down the bags
Photo by Amy Scheuren

But we forgot to load the broken chair!
Photo by Amy Scheuren

We headed to Recip, a private recycling center just outside of Xela, and after a few hiccups and delays we were able to recycle:

• 237 lbs of plastic at a rate of Q0.25/lb.
• 10 lbs. of aluminum at a rate of Q3.50/lb.
• 18 lbs. of glass at a rate of Q0.10/lb.
• 35 lbs. of tin and small kitchen appliances at a rate of Q0.20/lb.

Mountains of plastic, packed and ready to be shipped out of Recip
Photo by Amy Scheuren

The $13 earned on recycling will be saved and combined with other 2015 recycling income.  In November we will use these funds to reward the recycling efforts of the children and youth at the Family Support Center with a pizza party!