Over 9000 Quintales of Recycled Material from 2018 to 2020
Atitlan Recycle
This is an initiative of Friends of the Lake that strengthens adequate management processes of recyclable solid residuals in twelve municipal districts of the department of Sololá. The project was launched in 2017 with financial support from CBC and CECI Canadian Cooperation, through its Uniterra program. Its objective in the year 2021, with support from CBC and Social Capital Foundation, is to design a sustainable and integral entrepreneurial model for women who recycle in the Lake Atitlán Basin, thus enabling reduction of contamination into the lake and simultaneously generating economic income to improve the quality of life for these women and their families.
Our Heroines
We work with an average of 67 women leaders in their community, more than 900 indirect women, 107 operators of solid waste treatment plants, technicians and municipal techniques to generate income alternatives for groups of women and municipalities through the collection, classification, treatment and commercialization of these recyclable waste, improving the quality of life of the inhabitants, these processes are accompanied by the environmental promoters of the project, who promote processes of environmental awareness and education, training in environmental issues and management of waste and solid waste, strengthening and establishing technical capacities in women’s groups and municipal workers.
Our Collection Centers
Management zones were created – Sur, Las Lagunas, Tzolojya and Kaqchikel – in which collection and transfer centers were implemented that serve for the management and storage of recyclable materials from each sector or municipality, operated between groups of women and municipalities. Currently there are 9 collection centers operated by women and 4 by municipal workers.
Environmental Sustainability.
The groups of women recyclers collect and classify according to the type of recyclables (cardboard, paper, metal, glass, aluminum and plastics), in businesses, educational centers, restaurants, bars, individual families, hotels and shale producers, the materials are sold with companies local and national recyclers. The sale of recyclables allows women to generate additional income to support their families, supporting the education of their children.
We are the first cooperative of women recyclers in Central America created in 2021 “Cooperativa Integral de Mujeres Recicladoras Atitlán Recicla”.
About our work
As change agents geniunely interested in the development of Guatemala, we strive for conservation in the Lake Atitlan basin and the improvement in quality of life of all those who inhabit it. We promote and facilitate projects in environmental health, education and research through alliance with local, national and international actors.
Conserving Atitlán
From February 2019 to date, it has been achieved that around 40,000 liters of used cooking oil are not directly or indirectly discharged into Lake Atitlán, protecting 40,000,000.00 liters of water, since one liter of used cooking oil pollutes 1,000 liters of water.
What are Used Oils?
They are the oily waste derived from the use of oil in industrial processes of various kinds and in food manufacturing processes in the restaurant and family sector, they require special handling, since oily waste is flammable, reactive and toxic depending on the type of exposure . In addition, if they are disposed of in water or soil, their recovery has a very high cost.
Where we are
The project serves businesses in the municipalities of Sololá, Panajachel, Santa Catarina Palopó, Santiago Atitlán, San Pedro La Laguna, Santa Lucía Utatlán, San Andrés and San Juan La Laguna.
What we want?
The aim is to establish an environmental culture in the inhabitants of the basin with the management of special waste, making small companies clear about the environmental role they play.