Costa Rica News – The recycling truck goes by every Wednesday throughout the entire municipality of Jiménez.
This system of collecting recyclable materials started in 2006 and is still going strong.
The mayor believes that the key to waste management lies in educating one person or one house at a time. That’s why her town started this process long before the country’s Law on Waste Management existed.
There are many municipalities that do not have a waste management program or have one on paper that is not yet being carried out. Jiménez is a great example that they can follow. With only 14,000 residents they were able to go from sending 1,384 tons of garbage to the dump per year to just 720 tons.
Their town has different trucks to collect recycling, organic waste, and garbage.
If a person doesn’t separate the materials well the collector notifies the municipality and a fine is issued. 85% are recycling excellently.
