#IRecycle | The little progress of recycling in Peru regressed due to the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and, above all, the mandatory confinement that was taken as an initial measure were a severe blow that has affected the recycling in Peru. From changing customs that had taken a lot of work to inculcate among citizens to putting at risk thousands of families that depend on this important activity.

“We have suffered a big setback due to the pandemic. Before, we were reaching 5% of formal recycling. Obviously, we know that there is much more recycling that is collected informally.”, he explains to Trade Paloma Roldán Ruiz, executive director of the NGO Ciudad Saludable.

According to official figures, of that amount, 20.8% is reusable waste and 55.6% is organic waste. In 2020, 59,021 tons of waste were recovered through companies or formal organizations.

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The uncertainty, especially regarding the possibility of contagion through contact with surfaces, made recycling an extremely dangerous activity in the context of the pandemic. Although the formal recyclers were considered in the first block of the reactivation, the months of stoppage of activities were terrible.

“During the quarantine the recycling programs that worked with the municipalities went on hiatus. But not only that:They had to reconfigure their line of business. It is necessary that the selective collection programs of the municipalities reach 100% of the neighbors, that public-private alliances be attempted, and above all that work continue with the organizations of recyclers that are already formalized within the framework of Law 29419″, emphasizes Roldán Ruiz.

The responsibility to recover the path in the recycling It is not exclusive to the authorities. “The person responsible for the container of their waste is not the municipality, but the family of that house. We should not wait for them to give us a special bag to do it. In addition, Just as it cost us a lot to wear masks and assume various behaviors due to the pandemic, we must get used to recycling”, concludes Roland.

#YORECICLE CAMPAIGN

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• With this campaign, El Comercio seeks to make Peruvians aware of the importance of recycling for the planet.

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