- Title: MEXICO: Exhibition in Mexico City aims to raise awareness of recycling
- Date: 22nd October 2010
- Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (OCTOBER 20, 2010) (REUTERS) BLENDER ON MAN PEDALING BIKE WITH BLENDER ATTACHED VARIOUS OF ROBOTS MADE OF TINS AND PEOPLE LOOKING PEOPLE WALKING AROUND FESTIVAL PARTS OF CANS COLLECTED BY CRAFTSMAN CRAFTSMAN'S HANDS TYING CAN PARTS TOGETHER PURSE MADE OUT OF CAN PARTS ARNALDO RICALDE, FESTIVAL COORDINATOR, WALKING WITH ORGANIZERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ARNALDO RICALDE, PEPENAFEST ORGANIZER, SAYING "It's what we hope to consolidate: that people begin to change their habits and help us recycle because the problem of waste is all of our problem, not just the government's, not just company's, because all of us generate waste. They estimate that in this country, in Mexico, each person generates about one kilo of waste a day." MAN RINGING BELL ON STREET AS RECYCLING TRUCK DRIVES BY TRASH COLLECTOR WALKING TOWARD TRUCK PEOPLE CARRYING TRASH VARIOUS OF WORKERS SEPARATING GLASS FROM PLASTIC VARIOUS OF WOMAN PUTTING MUD ON GLASS BOTTLE CRAFTSMEN WORKING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) EMILIO ARIAS, PROYECTO ORGANI-K, SAYING: "What we want is that ecology not just be on paper or good intention, rather, that tangible things be done, things that can be replicated, that people can see and can be done in their houses." VARIOUS OF CRAFTSMEN WORKING WITH PLASTIC CONTAINERS AT WORKSHOP VARIOUS OF PURSE MADE OUT OF PLASTIC CONTAINERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) NOELLE ROMERO, GREEN CIRCLE PROJECT, SAYING: "This is what Green Circle is about-- closing the cycle of what was previously trash to create a consciousness of minimizing, reutilizing, separating our waste, making energy, making compost, making green roofs and urban gardens."
- Embargoed: 6th November 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Mexico
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: Nature / Environment
- Reuters ID: LVA8T2FSQEZXWNXR1PWN18RA0TIR
- Story Text: An 10-day festival in Mexico City that is expected to attract 500,000 visitors, hopes to create awareness on importance of recycling.
A 10-day festival in Mexico City hopes to create awareness on the importance of recycling through a creative exhibition.
Residents will demonstrate through art, education and social work how to recycle effectively during, Pepenafest, the second International Festival on creative recycling to be held from October 14 to 24.
The festival, organised by Mexico City's government and several government institutions, intends to promote separating rubbish, collecting and recycling materials which can in turn generate new economic opportunities and help the environment .
"It's what we hope to consolidate: that people begin to change their habits and help us recycle because the problem of waste is all of our problem, not just the government's, not just company's, because all of us generate waste. They estimate that in this country, in Mexico, each person generates about one kilo of waste a day," said Arnaldo Ricalde, Pepenafest Organizer.
Information, tools and ideas will be provided to make the most of residues with different activities including forums, workshops, concerts, films, acting, fashion catwalks, collection centres, environmental education and social events in order to promote recycling among the capital's 20 million residents.
"What we want is that ecology not just be on paper or good intention, rather, that tangible things be done, things that can be replicated, that people can see and can be done in their houses," said Emilio Arias from Proyecto Organi-K.
A plastic bag ban in Mexico City took effect on August 18, 2010. The fear of plastics industry is that other states will adopt similar measures.
Nevertheless, plastic bags advertised as degradable and sold in many supermarkets may not be as environmentally friendly as thought, according to a study.
Such bags usually use "oxo-degradable" plastics which include small amounts of additives to make them degrade faster.
A study was carried out by Loughborough University and funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said these plastics have an uncertain impact on the natural environment and are neither suitable for conventional recycling methods, because of the chemical additives, nor for composting.
Plastics industry officials have argued a better recycling policy should be adopted by Mexico City's government.
Mexico City launched a campaign several years ago to teach households to separate organic waste from recyclables. Sorting centers were built to replace informal workers who rake through trash for scraps of metal, plastic and paper.
Despite that, only 12 percent of the city's garbage is recycled, compared to up to 60 percent in parts of Europe, according to Plastic industry officials.
There are no waste reduction programs. Styrofoam plates, cups and plastic straws pile up at taco stands and shoppers pack groceries into doubled-up plastic bags.
Mayor Marcelo Ebrard, with one eye on a future presidential bid, has made strides toward making the capital greener, adding cycle lanes and public transport. Now he has big plans for a $186 million recycling center and a methane gas project like one that fuels the metro in the northern city of Monterrey. The plans could take years to come to fruition, however.
Noelle Romero, from the Green Circle Project, said they were all for promoting environmentally friendly initiatives.
"This is what Green Circle is about-- closing the cycle of what was previously trash to create a consciousness of minimizing, reutilizing, separating our waste, making energy, making compost, making green roofs and urban gardens," said Mexico City is also facing a crisis over where to put its trash -- enough to fill four sports stadiums a year -- with its sprawling dump in Nezahualcoyotl, already crammed to bursting and under a closure order. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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