Promoting a culture of recycling

PANAMA. Panamanian culture is nowhere close to Europeans or even Americans when it comes to recycling. At most, we have the close to 400 people around the city that make their living by collecting recyclable material.

On that light, and with the aim to change this reality, the city will host its second recycling fair this Saturday January 17 at Parque Omar.

Starting at 10:00 a.m. the Project R+ (Recycle +, enjoy +) will be holding a series of activities to help Panamanians learn how to take better care of their environment.

The recycling fair is meant to be for the entire family, as they spend a healthy recreational day with games, educational videos, and visiting exhibits by different companies and institutions whose work promotes recycling.

The meeting point is the “Terraza Feliz”, the skating ring.

R+ is a pilot project of awareness in the management of solid garbage that is held in green areas of the city. It surged as an initiative by the National Parks of Panama Group and The Social Action for Panama Foundation (FAS) sponsored by Cerveceria Nacional, S.A. under its Social and Environmental Corporate Responsibility strategy, and with the support of both Parque Omar and the national government.

The initiative comes at a time when the mayor’s office is trying to find a greener way to dispose the trash in Panama City. They have placed recycle bins in Parque Omar in hopes of getting Panamanians to gradually become accustomed to recycling.

As for those who are helping us be more environmentally conscious by taking care of our recyclables, the company Urbaser-Plotosa, who is taking over the management of refuse, will transfer them to warehouses were they will be able to work under healthy conditions and with proper equipment.