In a few short months, Ajijic’s incipient recycling project has taken hold, with 28,368 kilos of collected material sold to Guadalajara dealers.
That is equivalent to 31 tons of material taken out of the waste stream that would otherwise have gone into landfills.
The success of the citizen-managed Reciclaje Ajijic has also brought on many challenges. Although operated in cooperation with the municipal government, the program relies heavily on volunteer workers and financial backers.
With collection bins now distributed at many points around the town, the flow of recyclable plastic, glass, cardboard and metal items handled at the Centro de Acopio warehouse is increasing day by day.
Thus the need for extra hands to help sort and bundle marketable material is likewise growing. Helpers are welcome to show up for regular volunteer work at the center every Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. The facility is located west of Ajijic on the north side of the highway about one kilometer beyond the Canacinta service station.
Steering Committee Chairman Tom Thompson has also put out an appeal for donations to purchase a plastic compactor that can be employed to boost profits. The ticket price runs at around 135,000 pesos. So far about 26,000 pesos have been raised from 14 donors. A benefactor is now offering to kick in up to 20,000 pesos in matching funds for the amount of contributions received over the next 30 days.
Funds may be deposited via Paypal to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., with an indication that the money is a gift/donation. Please indicate that this is not a purchase so they will not charge a commission. Pledges are also received by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or through Messenger on the group Facebook page. For information on joining the volunteer team, contact Brian Stott at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..