Given the government’s inability to adequately manage solid waste in eastern El Salvador, the Oriente Recicla initiative offers a sustainable solution. The journalist Jackeline Miranda tells the story of this program in this report created with one of the Central American Reporting Grants 2024 from the Latin American Solutions Journalism Fund, an initiative of El Colectivo 506. This work was published by Distintas Latitudes on Nov. 27, 2024 and was adapted here for co-publication with our media.
The clock reads 4:30 a.m. and Dinora Alvarenga, 48, is already in the landfill in the center of the city of San Miguel. The weather is still not warm enough for comfort at this hour. As the smell of garbage mixes in the air with the sound of trucks unloading trash, she wears rubber boots and rummages through mountains of waste. Around her, at least a dozen people are carrying out the same process: separating recyclables from what will later be taken by white-lined trucks to the landfills.
Dinora does not remember the exact date or year in which she began to carry out this work, but she has been developing her identity as a recycler for two years. Her partner, who interrupts her from time to time, assures me that she has been doing these tasks since she was very young. Dinora is in charge of classifying and separating garbage for final disposal, selling the recyclable parts and separating them from items that can’t be recycled. She works from 4 am to 3 pm each day.
“I collect material, I recycle it, and I prepare bottles and containers so that when they come to collect them, they are clean,” she explains.
The waste crisis in San Miguel
In El Salvador, solid waste, especially plastic and organic waste, usually ends up in open dumps. In eastern El Salvador, the Uluazapa landfill, where Dinora carries out her daily work, has caused environmental and public health problems in nearby communities. This unique landfill has exceeded its capacity and has been the source of fires that affect the health of hundreds of inhabitants of 12 communities.
In 2024, the Environmental Court of the eastern zone gave the mayor of San Miguel, where the landfill is located, 10 days to resolve the serious problem of environmental pollution caused by a fire at the landfill. It was not the first time such an incident had happened. In 2022, another fire that lasted several weeks led residents to request the permanent closure of the landfill.
This year, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources published a document entitled “Diagnosis of the recycling market in El Salvador and articulation of the value chain within the framework of the circular economy.” It flags the lack of adequate infrastructure to collect and process recyclable materials as the biggest challenge related to this issue. While some private initiatives exist, their coverage is uneven, and many rural areas lack organized systems for waste management or recycling.
This lack of social programs and public policies affects not only the environment, but also the quality of life in communities that face risks of soil, water and air pollution. The situation is worsened by the growing volume of waste, the consumption of disposable products, and insufficient waste management infrastructure.
In 2022, the “National Waste Diagnosis” carried out by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) revealed 4,226.48 tons of waste are generated every day in El Salvador; of those, only 3,000 tons are collected.
According to the ministry, not all municipalities fulfill their responsibilities for waste collection or implement educational projects, especially in rural areas without services.
The Río Grande runs through 45 municipalities in the departments of Morazán, San Miguel, and Usulután, and is fed by many tributaries. These waters are contaminated by feces, solid waste, and sediments that accumulate at various points in the lower area, forming rivers of plastic that flow into the ocean.
The government study estimated that approximately 380 tons of solid waste per day are dumped illegally, with much of this waste dragged into streams and rivers.
Despite having a Law on Comprehensive Waste Management and Promotion of Recycling since 2020, the lack of coordination between municipalities and the Ministry of the Environment continues to be a challenge. There’s an urgent need for increased technical and legal support in order to implement policies in a uniform manner.
In its diagnosis on recycling, the MARN is emphatic: “There is a marked institutional weakness to face the challenges derived from the implementation of the law.”
Oriente Recycles
The Oriente Recicla collection center lies 6.1 kilometers from the municipal collection facility. At the center, coordinator Zulma Gómez, along with three colleagues, sit at a table and separate different types of glass containers around them. There are three types of colors that guide their classification: brown glass, green, and clear. Just a few minutes ago, a pattering of raindrops began to fall on the roof above them. The path that leads to the entrance shows that it rained a lot the night before, and the ground is muddy.
“Now it’s time for the route. They go around and collect glass, plastic, and cardboard, and then drop it off here. We also receive the glass and take the labels off—for example, these bottles that are there, we have to peel them off. We have brown glass, clear, and green,” says Zulma, explaining that they classify the glass in this way because that’s how it’s received in Costa Rica.
Zulma and Dinora share a common goal: they both work with Oriente Recicla, which seeks to reduce the amount of recyclable waste that ends up in final disposal sites, as well as to strengthen social fabric. This initiative is promoted by the Migueleños en Acción Association, based in San Miguel, a department that covers some 2,077.1 square kilometers in the east of El Salvador and had more than 693,000 inhabitants in 2023. Since 2021, the project has developed and established strategic alliances with the municipal government and local companies.
“We had a moment of awareness, saying: well, the institutions are not doing their job. The political parties, through electoral campaigns, offer us a lot of things that they do not end up doing,” explains Karla Paz, executive director of Migueleños en Acción. “In contrast, we saw that our city was becoming more depressed. Not only is the social part breaking down, but it also ends up making no difference to us whether they destroy this or that, a tree, an old house. What elements did they continue to give us or that would allow us to identify ourselves? That was when we began to question our identity as Migueleños.”
The program is based on the creation of recycling groups that include local communities from the most populous communities in the city, such as Colonia Milagro de la Paz, La Presita, Ciudad Pacifica, and Cantón Miraflores. They work especially with adults and young people, and with companies and institutions, to collect, separate, and market recyclable waste. This contributes to the sustainability of the project itself. These usable wastes include plastics, aluminum, glass, cardboard, printed paper, electronic waste, and cigarette butts.
For this purpose, the project created “green points” throughout San Miguel: the El Mercado transfer center, Migueleños en Acción offices, and the transfer center in the La Pacifica community. A fourth point is located in the municipality of La Unión, at the Ferrufino distributor.
The axis also incorporates environmental education as a central component, offering workshops and training in communities and community centers. Through the creation of a center, collection points, and its waste collection service, “Oriente Recicla” has raised awareness and strengthened waste management in several communities of San Miguel through the culture of the 3Rs: Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.
From 2021 to the present, the program has worked with 60 affiliates that periodically deliver their waste, in addition to the support they receive from companies and institutions. Following that commitment, from October 2021 through the beginning of 2024, 246 tons of waste have been collected.
In addition, with the help of donations, the group obtained “La Wiki.” That’s whatMigueleños in Action decided to name the vehicle that travels the routes laid out each week, collecting waste that’s been previously separated and classified by citizens and companies that collaborate with the initiative.
“Previously, grassroots recyclers were called ‘scavengers’. Today, there is a whole movement to dignify this work, which is essential to prevent the pollution we generate,” Karla explains. “It is very important to understand that recycling is part of a broader scheme—the circular economy—which helps us not only to be responsible consumers, but also to properly manage our waste and waste.”
At her side, Zulma, who works at the collection center, adds: “Thanks to my work here, my children can study and I can raise my family.”
Environmental education as a pillar of change
The active participation of the community, especially adults and youth, is key to the program. The inclusion of these groups not only facilitates the logistics of recycling, but also strengthens the sense of belonging and responsibility in the community, which increases the long-term sustainability of the program, Karla explains.
“We decided that we could do a program or a project in which we first learned how to manage garbage; second, find a way to separate what is no longer useful, from what can be reused and recycled; and third, do something like a massive campaign and also the issue of alliances,” she says.
The educational component of the program is another determining factor. By integrating environmental education within the project, Oriente Recicla has promoted cultural change in the perception of recycling among those they train.
Karla says that the Oriente Recicla methodology focuses not only on waste collection, but also on the training of citizens committed to the environment. The program seeks to create a multiplier effect, where a small group of people acts as an agent of change within their community.
“Through our methodology at Oriente Recicla, the education and training component seeks to reach citizens who are truly committed. In this way, they help multiply the message within their community. If there are 20 people in a community and five commit, these five, with their constant work, project the message to their neighbors and get more people to join the cause,” she explains.
This multiplier effect is evident in all age groups, but especially among older adults, who see the program as a way to leave a legacy.
“They say: ‘What will I leave behind?’ That sense of belonging, of roots, is what motivates them to act,” Karla adds.
Dinora says that she watches the white van or “La Wiki” pass by twice a week, after she has collected materials and sorted them into various bags.
“Everything goes into separate bags,” she says. “For example, iron has to be separate, the packaging, the soda ‘pichingas’ in another.”
When it comes to environmental education, Oriente Recicla’s primary main focus has been flexibility and closeness to the communities. Unlike other programs that have fixed schedules, this project seeks to adapt to the specific needs of each group. If a single resident shows interest in implementing the program in their community, the team visits to learn how waste is managed there and consults residents about the best schedules and teaching methods.
This personalized approach also adapts to the educational level of the participants, working even with people who cannot read or write, but who understand the negative impact of waste. To facilitate understanding, the program uses videos as an educational tool, although materials on environmental problems in the eastern area are scarce. According to the team, this invisibility of the problems responds to a lack of interest in allocating resources to that region. That’s why they have made an effort to raise awareness of the situation so that communities can take ownership of the solution.
Yader Ruiz, a biology professor at the University of El Salvador, highlights the importance of understanding waste collection and processing, classifying them into organic and inorganic. Even if recycling systems are implemented, they will be ineffective without adequate education and awareness.
“It is essential that environmental education begins in primary education and is reinforced at higher levels to cultivate a culture of recycling and respect for the environment,” Yader says.
The professor emphasizes that waste separation must be accompanied by installed capacity for its management, and criticizes the fact that waste is often mixed during collection. Furthermore, Yader emphasizes that universities must adopt a multidisciplinary approach when addressing environmental problems, involving economists, biologists and other experts to generate effective and transparent solutions: “Education must be a fundamental component in all stages of training, preparing future generations to face environmental challenges in a comprehensive manner.”
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Migueleños in Action has partnered with companies such as Grupo Ternova, Recicla 503, Parque Industrial Verde, Vical: Grupo Vidriero Centroamericano, Focus Central American Foundation, University of El Salvador, Mayor’s Office of San Miguel, among others.
An attempt was made to contact the person in charge of the Environmental Unit of the Migueleño Mayor’s office: engineer William Rodriguez, who works closely with the project. We asked to carry out an interview to learn about the support provided by the municipality. However, on the agreed-upon day, we were told he was not in the office; when asked about scheduling another date, he did not respond further.
Regarding the sustainability of projects like this, Karla Paz says that it is not only based on the commercialization of recycled waste, but also on the collection route. She charges establishments or restaurants yearly or twice-yearly for the collection services provided. The fee is between $15 and $25 dollars, depending on the number of times the establishment is visited each month.
In addition, she says that the project constantly seeks grant funding from entities supporting environmental efforts. They also rely on donations from supporters who contribute monthly, quarterly or annually to support the program.
“Companies like Agua Las Perlitas and Carvajal Empaques also support us, and at the level of grants, Focus Central American Foundation has been a great partner, which has been key in promoting Oriente Recicla,” Karla says.
Regarding the challenges faced by “Oriente Recicla,” she lists some of the biggest obstacles, starting with the lack of adequate infrastructure. The location where they operate presents difficulties, especially during the rainy season.
“We are operating on land that, during the rainy season, practically becomes a swamp. This makes both access to the collection center and the work that can be done under these conditions very complicated,” Karla explains, pointing out how delicate it becomes to maintain the flow of waste and carry out daily tasks in these circumstances.
In addition, she mentions the need for more personnel to process waste more efficiently.
“We need more personnel to allow us to process the waste the same day it arrives, so that it is ready for immediate delivery,” she adds.
Another crucial challenge is the limitation in material resources.
“We only have one panel-type minibus with a capacity of 1.5 tons, which restricts our ability to collect and transport waste. We can only do the collection route three times a week due to these limitations,” Karla, highlighting the urgent need for a truck with greater capacity.
Municipalities in El Salvador must grant licenses to establishments that wish to recycle their waste, according to the Law of Comprehensive Waste Management and Promotion of Recycling. The law states that municipalities are in charge of managing the waste generated in their territories, and should promote recycling services through local regulation.
The coordinated work of Oriente Recicla also involves the Environmental Unit of the Mayor’s Office, since, as Karla explains, any commercial establishment must comply with certain guidelines in order to operate. One of them is that usable waste such as plastics, glass and cans must be delivered to the Oriente Recicla collection center.
“The Mayor’s Office frequently asks us if certain establishments have delivered their waste, since they receive complaints about it. When an establishment is affiliated with us, this gives them support, since they can demonstrate that they are delivering their materials to Oriente Recicla,” Karla details.
Zulma is responsible for keeping a detailed record: when someone enters the collection center, they write down their name, contact number, the types of materials delivered, and the weight of the waste. This helps the organization maintain its own statistics to monitor the amount of waste that enters and leaves various companies depending on the type of material.
Karla highlights the lack of promotion and dissemination of the program as a major challenge. Despite the agreement with the Mayor’s Office that commits local companies through their operating licenses, participation has not been broad enough.
“Not everyone is involved as they should, which affects the scope of the project,” she concludes.
