Improved waste management in Bolivia’s metropolises
Over 3,000 tons of garbage accumulate each day in La Paz, El Alto, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba. Environmental consciousness has not yet taken hold, so there are often enormous mountains of organic, recyclable and toxic waste in open landfills and “wild” dumps. Widespread poverty is forcing more and more people to seek extra income by collecting garbage. Much of this activity involves women combing through mountains of garbage at night for recyclable materials in disgraceful conditions and at serious risks to their health.
Waste management to bring work to local people
The Siemens Stiftung has partnered with Swisscontact (Swiss Foundation for Technical Cooperation) and DEZA (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation) and consulted with local municipal authorities in a project to improve waste management in the four metropolises through better garbage collection and professional recycling. Project details:
- Build up ecologically effective private-sector collection system with separation and recycling
- Use economic potential of recyclables to generate a more stable income for garbage collectors
- Integrate current garbage collectors into the program, improve their working conditions and reduce the risks to their health
- Reduce the amount of garbage in the landfills of the four cities by some 20 per cent
- Pass along knowledge and increase awareness in the population for environmental, waste management and health issues
Garbage collectors evolve into small business owners
Garbage collectors living in extreme poverty are given training and consultation and an opportunity to develop into small business owners. Their previously informal status is legitimized, and their entrepreneurial activity raises both their income and social standing. Some 300 jobs are either created or professionalized.
Another project partner, die Fundare Foundation for Recycling, is working with municipal authorities to ensure the necessary publicity and education campaigns on the topics of the environment, garbage separation, recycling and hygiene in the various quarters. Environmental awareness is essential to improving the urban environmental situation over the long term.
