Melissa FlocaLeading Recycling in Mexico
I am halfway through a three week internship working with a coalition of four non government organizations (NGOs) in and around Puerto Vallarta, Mexico that have joined forces in their recycling efforts. Currently each NGO is collecting recyclables in their respective community and selling the materials to middle men. Most of the materials will eventually end up in China where they will be processed into any number of goods. I am working with them to create a business plan and a cost/benefit analysis to scale the current recycling program. They want to maximize the quantity of recyclables that the collect and their positive environmental impact, while continuing to run a break-even recycling program and education campaign.
Four towns are involved in the effort: San Pancho, Bucerias, Punta de Mita and Sayulita. There are a number of challenges that the recycling program faces. There are no recycling plants in Puerto Vallarta, making it very difficult for the program to pay for itself given the cost of transporting the recyclables. In addition, the culture of recycling in Mexico is only starting to gain momentum and the educational component of the program is key to its success. While the coalition has been very successful in raising awareness around recycling, they are still working to optimize their operational model and I am working with them to create and implement a model that will minimize costs and maximize collections.
