The circular economy pilot in Santa Marta, Colombia, applies various management strategies to reduce material flows reaching the Caribbean Sea, improving waste management services and enhancing the quality of life for recyclers and their families involved in the project. The pilot's collection routes cover 24,008 households, chain stores, educational institutions, and neighborhood shops, operated by three recycling organizations. These organizations remain active in the pilot, focusing on knowledge transfer after one organization concluded its participation. Through six pillars of development, including financial modulation and stakeholder integration, the project promotes sustainability and social well-being. Awareness campaigns on marine waste and recycling reached over 46,000 individuals. By December 2023, over 3,000 tons of materials have been collected and transformed, with collaboration with the Repack collective packaging plan enabling recyclers to access additional income opportunities under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), contributing to financial stability and service quality.
Parley for the Oceans and Cilpen Global, supported by PROMAR, have implement a strategic solution in the fight against ocean pollution. A river boom (floating barrier) has been installed in the Yaque del Norte River in Santiago, Dominican Republic. The objectives of this collaborative project are the following: to prevent solid waste, mainly plastics, from reaching the seas, thereby safeguarding marine ecosystems, to raise awareness in the community and sectors of the society on marine litter by educational activities at the site, and to gather crucial data on the volume of litter flowing through the river. After being captured in the river, the materials are lifted up by a conveyor belt, powered by solar panels, and collected in a mobile container. Cilpen Global then transports the material to their facilities for sorting out the recyclable fractions for processing. Furthermore, the initiative counts with an educational space (container) that receives student or community groups for educational and awareness-raising activities.
This pilot project aims to encourage a culture of recycling and environmental awareness in the community, responding to the challenges of waste management and the increase in single-use plastics. Through strategic partnerships with institutions such as the Babeque School, the Cultural Centre of Spain and the Don Bosco Educational Plaza, the first Blue Points (recycling bins) have been established in key locations in Greater Santo Domingo.
The collection containers (estaciones azules) are modular structures, composed of 40 and 20-foot containers, which serve as collection, sorting and education centres, equipped with solar panels for energy independence and sorting facilities for efficient waste management. Despite its initial phase, the project has already shown promising results, intercepting more than 231 kg of plastic at the Blue Points located at the Spanish Cultural Centre and the Babeque School, while providing more than 50 training sessions benefiting some 500 people. Looking ahead, there are significant opportunities for expansion and improvement, such as diversifying the materials collected, expanding the Blue Points to other communities and integrating them with existing Blue Stations to optimise collection and recycling efforts.
The Marine Litter Integration into PMGIRS (MSWM) pilot project covers a comprehensive initiative aimed at integrating marine litter management measures into existing municipal solid waste management schemes in a systematic manner. To begin with, a comprehensive assessment of the current state of marine litter is carried out, including surveys, data analysis and mapping of litter hotspots along coastal areas. After assessing the situation, in order to effectively deal with marine litter, a specific method is put in place. To do this, special marine litter tools, included in the PROMAR BlueBox such as floating barriers, coastal clean-up teams/beach sampling guide, and community-led clean-up projects are used.
At the same time, a multi-faceted approach is taken to raise awareness of marine litter. It involves educational campaigns, workshops and community engagement activities aimed at informing residents, businesses and tourists about the harmful effects of marine litter on coastal ecosystems and livelihoods. It works with local schools, NGOs and government agencies to expand outreach efforts and foster a culture of environmental protection. In addition, the pilot project places particular emphasis on evaluating the effectiveness of these actions. Key performance indicators such as volume of litter collected, reduction in litter accumulation rates, changes in citizens' litter disposal behaviour and improvements in the health of coastal ecosystems are carefully monitored and analysed. Regular monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are established to assess the progress of the pilot project and to identify areas for improvement.
