Several residents of La Floresta have gone public with their disagreement over the handling of garden wastes collected by the subdivision’s homeowners association (HOA).
The issue was addressed publically during the August 26 session of Chapala’s Ecology Council when the complainants showed photographs of plant and tree trimming material that has accumulated on six vacant lots spread throughout the upscale neighborhood for more than a year, raising concerns about the infestation of mosquitoes, cockroaches, flies and rats caused by massive dumping.
Spokesman Ignacio Ruvalcaba said the matter was brought to the attention of the municipal ecology office because the HOA has not responded adequately to complaints going back as far as April. He said on August 9 the office asked HOA to immediately remove the offensive rubbish and suspend the continued dumping within the subdivision. The municipal agency offered an alternative disposal space on government-owned land in La Canacinta.
Ruvalcaba pointed out the irony of the situation, noting that while on one hand the ample gardens of most La Floresta homes generate a great deal of rubbish, the vegetation also produces oxygen that is good for the environment.
HOA President Fernando Plata subsequently offered his perspective on the situation in interviews conducted by the Guadalajara Reporter.
According to Plata, La Floresta has acted as a local pioneer in the separation of household wastes over the past two years. He said that green waste deposited on the lots in question is being converted into compost under the guidance of an expert contracted for that purpose. In addition, residents are encouraged to dispose of recyclable inorganic trash by utilizing containers installed outside the HOA office.
Plata explained that the composting project has been hampered by diverse factors, including the need to replace the subdivision’s worn-out trash collection vehicles and the opposition of some neighbors bothered by the occasional noise involved in moving and processing the organic waste.
He noted that the HOA has invested around two million pesos to acquire a fleet of used vehicles in excellent mechanical condition to facilitate waste collection and disposal, among them a garbage truck retrofitted with a compactor removed from an older model, a flatbed truck and a Bobcat earth-mover.
Plata insisted that the two lots that have sparked neighbor complaints are being cleared as quickly as possible. However, as of this week, Ruvalcaba was still not satisfied with the pace and progress of the effort.
Both men agree that all local residents can contribute significantly to the well-being of the environment by changing their consumer habits and practicing in-home waste separation and composting. It boils down to questions of awareness and cooperation.