The waste management center serving Isla San Cristobal is located 4 kilometers outside of the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, in the temperate highland region. The 7 acre center consists of sections for plastic and glass, cardboard, metal, trash and organic waste. Plastic and glass bottles are separated, packaged and shipped back to the mainland for processing. Some bottles are ground, shipped back as pellets and sold for use in the production of goods such as benches and new containers.
All of the recycling for San Cristobal is done at this, by a crew of only 13 individuals. Mounds of glass, heaps of plastic containers, cans, cardboard and piles of scrap metal dot the jungle landscape. All sorting is done by hand, which is a very labor intensive endeavor. Recently a glass and plastic grinding machine, similar to the machine on Santa Cruz was introduced. Before the establishment of the recycling center on San Cristobal, all waste on the island was transported to an open landfill on the far north-east side of the island. In addition to the operation of the new facility, the staff is slowly processing the decades worth of waste from the old landfill, and disposing of it properly.
In addition to their other sections, the center also includes a large open air organic compost area. All organic waste is separated out, and dumped in this area in order to be naturally broken down into compost. The piles are rotated and turned, using a combination of manual labor and mechanization in the form of a small bull dozer. After 6 months, the compost is considered completed. The finished product is sold by the center for a price of $12.00 US for 48 kilograms of compost. The proceeds from these sales are used as a sources of funding for the continued operation and growth of the recycling program on San Cristobal.
In addition to selling the compost for profit, it is also used at the recycling center to encourage the growth of endemic plant species. The employees have begun a program aimed at eradicating invasive plant species and replacing them with endemic ones. This is largely a labor of love, and a daunting task in such a large, overgrown area.
A newer initiative of the recycling program has to do with the by products of transportation and industry on the island. Used oil and gas are now being packaged and shipped back to the mainland for reprocessing. Prior to this, used petroleum products were simply dumped in the landfill along with all other garbage. Although this project is relatively new, the impact is already being felt on the island, notably in the reduced risk of groundwater contamination.
No comments:
Post a Comment