Héctor Pérez lives in El Monte. Recycling has always been a part of his life. His parents brought the family forward by collecting and today they are brand-new recyclers just like their two siblings. He works at a Clean Point of Independence and every day observes those around them working among plastic bottles, cans and cartons, while contributing to a greener Chile.
Los Pérezs are one of the 60 thousand families who today live off recycling in Chile. They are a fundamental cog in the sustainable chain of our country They are the ones who collect waste from hundreds of houses, companies and also from the Clean Points. They are the ones who segregate and prepare the materials and those who take them to the collection centers. Without them the virtuous circle of circular economy would not be possible. Not for nothing, the Producer Responsibility Act itself (REP Act) has recognized them in their task and defined their role in the recycling chain.
Therefore we cannot go blind with the situation that threatens them today because of the pandemic. In the Pérez family, for example, parents have had to stay home for health reasons, Hector is in charge of their care and his siblings have had to assume the difficult role of providers. That is, of five people working actively, today there are only two who do it, and with difficulties.
Thanks to the partnership with Fundación Coca-Cola, as Corporación Cultiva we were able to contact the National Association of Recyclers and get a closer look at the reality of this group and reach directly to 1,200 recycler and recycler homes, with food boxes and safety items. That’s how we personally met Hector Pérez, visited his house, talked to his parents and we could see directly what his shortcomings were, but we also witnessed the immense commitment they have to recycling, to sustainability and to collaborative work for a better Chile.
We are experiencing a time of transformation when uncertainties in health, economics, politics and others, such as global warming, bring us ever closer to the need and urgency to move towards a circular, sustainable economy that integrates a broad vision. Our organization has not been exempt from these transformations, the product of this pandemic and we have arranged our operational and professional capacity to serve causes that integrate this circularity. As the environment, everything in one way or another is related, and the actions that add up, regenerate and transform our society are the great challenge we have as humanity. Today, a linear economy is not compatible with the needs of an economically affected population, so it is crucial to relieve the importance of the reuse and circularity of our resources and, with it, the waste we generate.
Since today we cannot do our reforestations in the hills, we wanted to be part of the #ReciclaenCasa campaign of the Ministry of the Environment and the National Association of Recyclers of Chile. The health situation cannot slow the path forward in sustainability. Recycling must follow. Today almost 80% of these wastes are ending up in landfills, which is irreparable damage in the medium term.
If we’re more at home, we can organize and segregate. Until now the difficulty was in the retreat, but the platform #ReciclaenCasa puts us in direct contact with the base recycler of our commune. And not only does it free us from the accumulation of bottles, cans and cartons, but it contributes directly with the conversion of thousands of recyclers who, with the closure of companies and clean points, today lives only from the home retreat.
The invitation is to become part of this virtuous circle. Segregate and recycle to collaborate with the environment, join with our neighbors to make this work a collaborative action and contact a base recycler to continue the sustainability chain, but also so that we can work and cope with this emergency.
Let’s do it for us and for them. By Don Humberto Pérez, Mrs. Lidia and her children Hector, Juan and Patricio. For a better country.
The content poured into this opinion column is the sole responsibility of its author, and does not necessarily reflect the editorial line or position of El Mostrador.
