Up to 20% Of Waste That Ends up on Beaches in Costa Rica is From Household Appliances

Foams, internal components and parts of the packaging of refrigerators, washing machines and other appliances arrive daily at different beaches through the mouths of the main rivers.

This waste represents up to 20% of what is collected in the different beach cleanups carried out, especially those in the Central Pacific and the Gulf of Nicoya, according to estimates by the Mareblu organization.

Closing the cycle

In the midst of this reality and as a way to care for the environment, Mabe launched the Green Cycle program in Costa Rica with the objective of of household appliances, supported by the principle of extended producer responsibility.

Furthermore, within the framework of the presentation of this initiative, a group of Mabe collaborators participated in volunteering to clean a sector of Playa Guacalillo.

“Unfortunately, in less than 20 minutes of cleaning we managed to identify a large number of parts of household appliances such as washing machine tanks, sections of refrigerator doors and foams that are located inside these appliances, which is why we call to reverse this reality assuming co-responsibility as consumers, to prevent them from reaching these types of ecosystems and generating environmental impacts,” said Andrés Santana, Mabe’s Environmental Sustainability Manager.

During the volunteer day, 80 bags of waste were extracted, equivalent to 630 kilos.100% of what was collected received treatment according to the process that corresponds to each waste, ensuring important traceability, with the aim that nothing reaches a landfill.

In other parts of the country

In addition to this initiative and as part of Green Cycle, collection days for this type of appliances have been held in different areas of the country.Currently the work is concentrated in Poás de Alajuela in conjunction with the municipality and in Guanacaste, where a campaign will be carried out on November 17 at the Coopeguanacaste branch in Santa Cruz.

“As far as we are concerned as importers, through Green Cycle we are promoting and facilitating the correct management of waste electrical and electronic equipment, especially a culture of correct disposal of this equipment to guarantee proper handling once they have been disposed of.” completed its life cycle,” Santana added.

Green Cycle is an initiative that is part of Mabe’s corporate sustainability model that addresses the three dimensions of Governance, Social Wellbeing and Environmental Performance, seeking balance under a principle of competitive adaptation that reflects its effect on a new social, environmental and economical, beyond its products.

Recommendations

Consumers who wish to participate in these initiatives are recommended not to remove parts and components from household appliances, as some could pose problems to the environment and health due to improper handling.

Likewise, they must ensure that this waste is managed through environmental managers that guarantee comprehensive management covered by the environmental license for the correct recycling, treatment and final disposal of the components that make up these devices.

The life cycle of these products can range between 10 and 13 years according to estimates by manufacturers and importers of household appliances, although there is a probability that this period will be shorter due to a failure that occurs for different reasons or that is extended due to the behavior of extend its use.