San Francisco Frontiers - In Colombia, children trade plastic waste for school supplies

Bahia Malaga National Park, on Colombia's Pacific coast, is one of the best places in the South American country to spot humpback whales.

The giant mammals draw tourists, a welcome source of revenue, but the visitors leave a heavy plastic footprint, in the form of tons of waste.

Pollution will be one of key topics on the agenda at the upcoming UN COP16 biodiversity conference in the Colombian city of Cali starting October 21.

Every year, about eight million tons of plastic end up in the ocean, according to the UN.

The Plastico Precioso Uramba charity is spearheading a major clean-up in Bahia Malaga, where it has collected about 16 tons of garbage since 2019.

The key to its success was inventing a currency to encourage collection: each 250 grams (0.55 pounds) of plastic collected can be redeemed for a plastic coin, which in turn can be traded for a range of goods at a store run by the charity.

For example, a notebook costs the equivalent of 30 plastic bottle caps.

"The garbage problem is transformed into incentives for local economies," Sergio Pardo, director of Plastico Precioso Uramba explained.

And children are the footsoldiers in his war on plastic waste.

"I collect bottle caps and take them to the store," 13-year-old Juan Jose Lopez said.

Pardo has also melted down caps and turned them into desks for a local school, as a prize for the class that recycled the most.

Teacher Soraya Hinestroza said the waste scheme had made children "diligent" pupils of recycling.

"We are motivating families through the children, who return home and become environmental advocates within their households."

N.Flores--SFF