Student Recycling Project

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In 2009, we began a recycling program with our high school students, which has turned into a growing success. Our students began to form recycling groups in San Isidro, Estelí, Somoto, Las Sabanas and San José de Cusmapa, with the help of their teachers. Once the groups were organized, we provided training for them on the basic premises of recycling. Since there is very little environmental education available in Nicaragua, we started by emphasizing the need to greatly improve solid waste management, stop littering, and minimize the contamination caused by materials that could be reused or recycled. Although we were not sure initially how the students would react to this new activity, we have been pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming enthusiasm that they have developed for recycling.

Anyone who has ever visited Nicaragua is well aware of the garbage problem that is evident in all corners of the country as refuse lines the streets, rural roads, fields and cities. By implementing a recycling program, we hoped to inspire students to clean up their communities and contribute to the general environmental health of their country. In addition, we also structured the program so that the student organizations would function like micro-enterprises to take advantage of the economic opportunities in the market.

Currently, more than 150 students are participating in the recycling program. After the students received basic training on how to separate and classify materials, we invested in barrels and sacks that were distributed in their neighborhoods and communities. We also printed some simple educational materials to increase awareness among families and small businesses about recycling. Students then planned a weekly pick-up schedule to collect materials, which are then sorted and classified at the respective Fabretto centers.

As our truck makes several trips a month from Managua to deliver food and other supplies to the centers, the recycled materials are then sent back to Managua on the return trip when it would otherwise be empty. In Managua, our staff then sells the materials to local recycling businesses, and the money is used to maintain the program expenses, and to finance some activities and materials for the students. In Managua, students have also extended the recycling initiative to several businesses and public locations. This has helped to increase visibility, emphasizing the importance of recycling and proper waste management practices.

Eventually, we hope these recycling groups can function as small, independent businesses, where students can earn a small income. Although the program has operated successfully, we are still not at a point of financial sustainability. The prices for recycled materials in Managua are relatively low, and fluctuate with international market prices.  Since September 2009, we have recycled 19,000 pounds of diverse materials including: plastics, aluminum, cardboard, paper, glass and Styrofoam. Unfortunately, the income generated is not yet enough to maintain basic operating expenses as greater volume is required to realize margins of scale.  Therefore, to achieve financially sustainability, we will have invest further resource in order to increase the volume of materials collected and then be able to establish direct relationships with the large scale processors and buyers, rather than going through intermediaries as we are currently doing.

In order to maintain our basic operating expenses for the next twelve months, we need to raise approximately $15,000. This will cover the cost of transportation; recipients (bags, sacks, barrels); cleaning materials; training sessions for students; t-shirts for students; gloves; and the printing of educational materials. We feel confident that this initiative is having a positive impact on our students, their communities, and the general environmental health of Nicaragua. With your support, we can continue this valuable program, and further instill fundamental environmental values in our students.