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Umsetzungszeitraum Since 2023
Ort Callao, Peru
Kontakt Sr. Karina Beneder
Datum
08.06.2025
Von
Diócesis de Tarma

Raising awareness and environmental responsibility through recycling

Themenfeld: Climate Action
Advisory
Sustainable Livelihoods

problem & solution

In Chorrillos, a densely populated district of Lima, plastic waste is omnipresent. There is a lack of awareness about waste separation, and less than 2% of waste is recycled.

The solution was to set up a local recycling workshop, combined with intensive educational work. Children, young people and adults should become multipliers for environmentally conscious behaviour through their own participation.

the experience

  • Special plastic recycling machines from Plasticpreneur came to Lima by ship and were set up with expert help.
  • Logistics and collection: The congregation brings plastic to church services. The material is collected with a cargo bike (donated by MIVA) and brought to the workshop.
  • Recycling process: The plastic (e.g. bottle caps) is washed, sorted by colour, shredded and then heated. Only plastics with codes 2 or 5 are suitable. The molten material is used to make soap dishes, flower pots or plastic strips for benches. Approx. 12,000 lids are processed for one bench. A rod needs about 15 minutes to form. Even if some types of plastic cannot be melted, they are sold to cover electricity costs.
  • Environmental education: At the same time, participants learn in practical work how important waste separation and sustainable use are e.g. during plastic collections or church services.

Challenges

  1. Complex customs clearance and assembly of machines.
  2. Sorting, washing and processing the plastic are labour-intensive.
  3. Continuous energy demand and financing must be secured.

Impact

  1. Through the hands-on engagement with waste, environmental awareness, circular economy and resource conservation were anchored in people's everyday lives.
  2. The project strengthened the sense of community because everyone can make their contribution to environmental protection.
  3. More and more schools and community groups are visiting the project and collecting plastic so that they can get plastic benches, for example.

Lessons Learned

  1. The combination of environmental education and anchoring recycling in everyday life is an effective approach to imparting environmental knowledge in a tangible and instructive way. Those who recycle themselves understand relationships better and take responsibility.
  2. Visible and useful results such as benches and soap dishes made of recycled plastic motivate people to stick with it in the long term.

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