Recycling bins at San Cristóbal Hill, in Santiago, Chile.
© Hernán Torres
© Hernán Torres
by Marcela Torres
One action we can take as responsible tourists
and citizens is to avoid leaving garbage lying around in the places we visit.
The best thing to do is take the garbage and recycle it. In Chile, it is not
always that easy to find recycling containers, but some hotels are already
including them in their facilities and some tourist attractions, such as the
San Cristóbal Hill, have them as well.
The good thing is that in Chile recycling has
been linked to social projects for a long time. For example, the San José
Foundation provides boxes to companies in order to recycle paper and they also
have bins in some supermarkets. The money obtained from recycling allows them
to fund their adoption centers.
The Corporation to Help Burnt Children (COANIQUEM) recycles glass bottles to fund their centers to assist injured children. The Committee for the Defense of Flora and Fauna (CODEFF) also
recycles glass to support environmental projects, such as their wildlife
recovery center in the Maipo Canyon.
Empty Tetra Pak containers are recycled by the
A Roof for Chile Foundation to obtain funds for their campaign to build houses
for families without a home. And the National Family Center (CENFA) recycles
plastic soda, juice and mineral water bottles to fund their initiative to
support families in conflict.
Therefore, by recycling we are not only helping
care for the environment, but also supporting non-profit organizations carrying
out important social projects in Chile. What better benefits could there be?
The final message, then, is: Recycle, recycle,
recycle!
This entry was originally posted by the author on August 24, 2011.
