This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center.
JALAPA, Guatemala—On a warm afternoon in El Duraznal, Soila Elizabeth Cruz picked up plastic waste as trucks passed by. Every few months, the community gathers to clean up waste, Cruz explained as she tossed bottles and packaging into a large bag.
“We’re doing this as a community so it looks clean and organized,” said Cruz, who learned about reducing plastic waste from Ecolectivos, a project led by U.S. and Guatemalan researchers studying the health impacts of burning plastic in the Santa María Xalapán mountains.
The project, co-led by Lisa Thompson from the University of California, San Francisco, and Eri Saikawa of Emory University, organized workshops for Indigenous Xinca villages to create feasible long-term plans for reducing plastic waste.
Cruz and other women from her village, near Jalapa, engaged in workshops and decided on community cleanups as a strategy. Cruz, a mother of three, was selected as a promotora, or environmental leader, to oversee the initiative.
“The workshops motivated us to come together as a community,” Cruz said. “We motivate each other to avoid burning plastic and to reduce its use.”
Cruz is at the forefront of a global plastic pollution crisis, aggravated by the increasing production of petroleum-based materials containing toxic chemicals that cannot be recycled or managed sustainably.
Plastic manufacturers have produced hundreds of millions of tons annually, initially marketed as disposable and single-use products. Despite recycling promotion, less than 9 percent of plastic has been recycled.
In Guatemala, the situation is dire due to limited waste management capabilities alongside increasing imports of plastic goods and scrap.
Over the past decade, Guatemala imported over 1.2 million tons of plastic goods, with Chinese imports nearly tripling since 2016, according to United Nations trade data. Jalapa hosts stores selling plastic wares from China, where volatile chemicals permeate the air.
Guatemala also imports hard-to-recycle plastic waste, making it a plastic-pollution hotspot in Latin America, as per a recent study in Environmental Research Letters.
Plastic debris clogs rivers and causes environmental hazards, turning the Motagua River into one of the most polluted rivers globally.
In a country where over half of the population lives in poverty, many lack waste-collection services, especially in rural areas like El Duraznal. Nearly three-quarters of rural households burn waste, including plastic.
Emissions from burning plastic waste are not accounted for in pollution inventories, but a 2023 study led by Ecolectivos’ Saikawa suggests it could significantly increase emissions.
Plastic trash is pervasive in Jalapa, and it clogs streets and remote village roads in the mountains. Efforts like Ecolectivos aim to reduce plastic burning and its harmful effects.
For many Guatemalans, burning plastic trash is a means to manage waste, despite releasing harmful chemicals affecting health, particularly for women and children who often engage in cooking with solid fuels.
The Ecolectivos project involves research and community strategies to tackle plastic waste issues, including workshops, cleanups, and recycling initiatives.
Despite challenges, the community cleanup efforts continue, driven by local leaders and the Ecolectivos project, aiming to improve environmental and health conditions in the region.
Original Story at insideclimatenews.org