Thanks to Ecuador Expats on Facebook and David Sasaki.
It appears recycling is gradually catching on in Ecuador. It’s been a little over a year since the redeemable tax for non-returnable plastic bottles went into effect. Last year, recycling these bottles generated $14 million. It’s also created thousands of jobs.
Last year, school kids in Quito got into the Guinness Book of World Records by collecting more than 1.5 million plastic bottles in a week. The bottles had a value of $30,000 once recycled.
http://www.hoy.com.ec/noticias-ecuador/ecuador-14-millones-produjo-el-reciclaje-en-2012-579590.html
In Cotacachi, volunteers have created these interesting looking receptacles for depositing empty plastic bottles.
You’ve probably heard of the musical garbage trucks in Ecuador. There are also musical recycling trucks.
Musical Recycling Trucks – Otavalo
Here’s a look at some of the plastic bottles that Quito students collected last year. A Guinness rep came to Ecuador to verify the record. Photo courtesy of El Comercio