Amagreenzone's social projects
Sustainable Solutions for a Better Tomorrow
We like to play an active role in the community we live in, and we’re taking part in local activities as often as we can. We believe in giving back and making a positive impact on those around us. We’re learning about the way of life in the Amazon rainforest, and we are giving back by sharing our insights and knowledge from the Western world. We participate in Amazon social projects to stimulate environmental conservation efforts and support local initiatives that promote sustainability and cultural preservation. Our goal is to create meaningful connections and contribute to the well-being of both our community and the environment. But also to share our experiences with the rest of the world and enable others to be involved in our Amazon social projects for the important work of preserving the Amazon rainforest for future generations.
Our Current Project:
Implementation of a self-sustainable solid waste recovery center
“After 15 years of promulgation of the General Solid Waste Law, Peru still suffers from serious public cleanliness problems. Every day there are more urban inhabitants (now 75% of Peruvians live in cities), and every day in the cities, the Peruvians produce more garbage (on average, a Peruvian generates more than half a kilo a day). The volume of garbage produced in Peru is increasing; 10 years ago it was 13,000 T/day, today it reaches 18,000 T. 50% of this waste is not properly disposed of: we have dirty cities, dirty streets, rivers, beaches, streams, etc.”
This official statement from the Peruvian government sums up the scale of the garbage issue in just a few sentences. There are only 76 authorized trash dumps in the entire country, which has 33 million residents. It is a fact that approximately 30% of the trash is still on the streets and that more than 50% of the waste is not disposed of safely in a sanitary landfill!
Click here to view the infrastructur map.
Source: Nueva ley y reglamento de residuos sólidos, internet, 6 February 2023
The waste problem: cause and effect
The rural communities are left to fend for themselves because the official waste landfills are situated in and around the major towns. When the modern world made its appearance in the area, the changes came too quickly for the local people. People who had previously made a living on what nature provided began to consume, which led to the current waste problem.
And, as previously stated, facilities are insufficient to handle the high volume of waste. In the best-case scenario, there is a garbage truck and a place along the road to dump the garbage. In the worst-case scenario, garbage is dumped directly into the rivers. We are witnessing this on a daily basis because we are located in San Martin, a beautiful area of Peru filled with lush rain forest and rivers that flow directly into the mighty Amazon. We live in Chazuta, a little community located along the Hullaga River’s riverbanks. One of Chazuta’s Amazon social projects is already developed enough to have a garbage truck that transports waste to an overflowing garbage site.
However, the majority of the natives in the communities surrounding the Huallaga River have no idea what to do with their trash, and thus the majority of it, is being thrown onto the Huallaga River banks. The river will absorb the waste, and the people will indeed be rid of it. However, the Hullaga River eventually spills into the Amazon river, which flows all the way to the ocean.
This method of waste disposal has serious consequences for people and the Amazon’s flora and wildlife. Animals die from eating plastic, nature becomes polluted, and fish are contaminated with microplastics. Eventually, people will get sick from this as well. But it doesn’t stop here in the rainforest. The waste travels on the rivers all the way to the Atlatic Ocean, where it contributes to global plastic pollution, harming marine life and ecosystems. This cycle of pollution continues to be hazardous and unsustainable and needs to be addressed through better waste management practices.
Our solution and local partners to help make the Amazone more cleaner
For 5 years, a dedicated group of people in Chazuta has been addressing this problem. The organization is named Chazuta Chuya Chuya, and is managed by a group of enthusiastic volunteers that feel passionately about the neighborhood they live in.
Chazuta Chuya Chuya & Amagreenzone want Chazuta to be clean, orderly, beautiful, and healthy. Chazuta Chuya Chuya is a very active organization. They engage in a variety of campaigns to enhance the environment and educate the villagers on the importance of keeping it clean. For instance, they plant trees in the city to provide more shade, they host educational meetings on what plastic to recycle, they collect plastic and metal cans from door to door, they have clean-up actions, and many more Amazon social projects.
Their major goal, however, is to construct a sustainable garbage dump for adequate solid waste segregation and processing. Chazuta would greatly benefit from such a station. It would not only eliminate the garbage problem, but it would also create new job opportunities for the locals. Both plastic, metal cans and organic waste can be sold to recycling businesses, making the project fully self-sustaining.
The compost can as well be used to support people in the city to cultivate vegetables and fruit in their own gardens. Introducing urban gardening. Furthermore, Chazuta would serve as a model for the surrounding villages and small cities to follow.
Despite Chazuta Chuya Chuya's enormous enthusiasm, they face several obstacles.
The most significant issue is the lack of financial means to complete the project. The government has a program in place called MINAM. It’s the governing body for solid waste, with an investment program that reaches 3.3 million people. It is feasible, but very complex, costly, and time-consuming. It can take years for a decision to be made, and there’s no guarantee that it will be successful. Another obstacle is that many people in this community live somewhere between the traditional and modern eras. Despite the arrival of the modern world, many people still live the traditional way. It is challenging to convince these folks that environmental preservation is important, also for their own benefit. A solid educational program is essential.
We heard about this project and got very curious. So we approached Chazuta Chuya Chuya about collaborating, and we had an immediate understanding of the importance of protecting the rainforest. We attended several meetings, and the project really appealed to us. It’s clear that there is a strong desire to make a change, and a good plan is in place. Chazuta municipality supplies land, constructs a facility for the waste recovery center, and serves as the project’s lead. We, on our part, intend to provide the necessary supplies and equipment to ensure the project’s success.
Now is the time for all of us to unite and support the Municipality and this committed group to protect and enhance the environment, wildlife, and, eventually, the quality of life for people. The first step is to ensure that each family has two waste bins. One for plastic and one for organic waste. Then two trucks are needed to pick it up and bring it to the waste separation center. To process the plastic a compressing machine is needed to reduce transport volume. And, eventually, a garbage boat is necessary to collect plastic from the surrounding villages inaccessible by road. Since education is a critical component of the project, workshop and educational materials are required. We also wish to encourage the use of fabric bags for grocery shopping. Local tailors will manufacture these. Within two years, we intend to have established a 100% self-sustaining, environmentally friendly, and safe waste separation center.
But we cannot do it on our own, which is why we are reaching out to you. Please join us in helping the municipality and community of Chazuta to reach their goal! This year we aim to fund $52.000,00 to complete the project’s first phase. Every gift, no matter how large or small, is highly appreciated. Spreading the word is also a huge gift for us.
Together, we can make a significant impact by bringing this project to life and creating a positive ripple effect around the world. By working side by side and sharing our resources, we can inspire others to join us in our mission for positive change. Let’s continue to spread awareness and drive momentum towards a brighter future for all.
As a token of our appreciation and to increase the impact of the project even more, we’ll do something extra and plant a tree for each contribution. That’s our way to say,
“A big thank you for your time and support!”