Project Launch: 2-13-18

Los Angeles de Pital is a rural community of 600 people located Costa Rica’s Northern Zone. Most residents work in the pineapple industry. While the community has sufficient educational institutions and an active Development Association, environmental responsibility is not emphasized due to a deficiency of environmental education and infrastructure.

Through the implementation of weekly workshops, a group of youth, the local women’s group, and the development association will address the litter and trash issue in Los Angeles. The activities during the workshops will include identifying the sources of the trash, learning about different types of recyclable materials, how to reduce use of non-recyclable materials, building trash cans, and erecting anti-littering signs throughout the town. The participants of the workshops will in turn, help raise awareness about the new initiative to keep the town clean and how to live a life with less waste.

Project Update: 6-13-18

The project has led two environmental workshops, so far, and has created anti-littering signs, which will be placed throughout the community. All of the students in the nearby high school were exposed to environmental best practices during the environmental fair where all of the seniors prepared booths about different materials that can be recycled and educated the rest of the student body, community members, parents and visiting schools on these practices as well. Notably, there has been a decrease in littering within the high school property and students are starting to bring more of their recyclables to the school to sort.