As the Ajijic recycling project nears its six-month milestone, the initiative’s committee says significant advancement has been made in raising public awareness, encouraging residents to change their waste disposal practices and promising expectations for financial returns.
Since its formation last December, the volunteer group has supervised the collection, sorting, storage, transport and sale of reusable refuse, operating in conjunction with Delegación Ajijic and Chapala’s Ecology Department.
So far, the pilot project has rendered 23 shipments of cardboard, four loads of plastic and two of glass to recycling companies in metro-area Guadalajara, plus one delivery of aluminum to a Chapala outfit. In terms of weight, the sales record comes to 12,758 kilograms (kg.) of cardboard, 3,580 kg. of glass, 1,658 kg. of plastic and 10 kg. of aluminum.
The committee has also overseen the installation of 17 recycling drop-off bins distributed around the village, with a dozen more on order.
The placement of large containers for each type of material outside the Centro de Acopio is being considered, pending a formal arrangement with the municipal government for long-term use of the warehouse facility on Ajijic’s western outskirts.
Helpers are welcome for a final pre-rainy season clean-up at the collection center, set for Saturday, May 18, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
In line with a commitment to transparency and accountability, the group’s May 6 report specifies that income to date from sales of recyclable materials adds up to 42,798 pesos. Expenses total 15,198 pesos, principally going to the 1,500-peso per week salary for a worker employed to manage the Centro de Acopio depository.
Figures do not take into account transport expenses shouldered by committee president Tom Thompson, Ajijic businessman Roberto Serrano and the municipal government through Chapala Ecology Director José Jaime Ibañez.
With cash donations tagged on to sales proceeds, the committee’s joint bank account currently shows a balance of 31,803 pesos.