Project Launch:

The Boy and Girl Scouts of La Guaria, Costa Rica took the first sustainable steps towards keeping their rural banana farming community of 3,000 residents green, clean and healthy. Developed by the Scout group, this project installed four permanent garbage cans made out of the recycled material 'plastic lumber' around the central and highly polluted public plaza in town (also the soccer and baseball field). The Scouts, ages 5-15, invited classmates to join them as they cleaned the plaza, decorated the cans with environmentally-themed paint designs, and sat at tables in the center of town for a day dedicated to educating the community on trash recollection, disposal, and recycling. Residents mainly disposed of their trash by throwing it in rivers and empty fields, or burned their garbage around the plaza perimeter. This effort successfully engaged local businesses and churches by having them donate trash bags and other trash collection materials, money and labor, resulting in a collaborative and 100% kid-inspired community effort to create visible, positive change in the lives of the children and families of La Guaria.