• This May 17 is World Recycling Day. Recoverable waste management is one of the pending tasks in Costa Rica, where it is estimated that each inhabitant produces about one kilogram of waste per day. Data from the Ministry of Health.
• In the private sector, it must also assume a role of extended responsibility as a producer. FIFCO recovers 119 containers for every 100 bottles it places on the market, and also reduces from the source: 75 out of every 100 products placed on the market are in containers other than plastic.

Recycling is a strategic ally for conservation, but the correct disposal of recoverable waste is still a pending task in Costa Rica: according to data from the Ministry of Health, less than 10% of the waste produced each year is recovered in the country.

The effort to improve these indicators must be shared between companies and individuals. FIFCO, for example, applies a packaging recovery plan that allowed it to remove 119 bottles from the environment for every 100 it placed on the market. To increase the impact of these actions, in alliance with the ecoins platform, the company shares these strategic recommendations to develop the recycling habit in children:

1. Teach by example: Children learn from what they see, so if they experience the separation and recycling of materials at home, they will see it as something natural and will adopt it as well.

2. Make recycling fun: Design, together with the children and under supervision, a space for waste storage. Let them help make the labels and make containers with boxes for the different materials, learning the color that corresponds to each one (blue for plastic and tetra pak, yellow for aluminum and tinplate, gray for paper and cardboard and orange for glass).

3. Assign tasks: Distribute among all the people in the house the task of separating and taking recyclable materials to their respective containers. In this way, they will feel responsible and committed to care for the environment. Remember that they must be delivered clean and dry.

4. Talk about the impact of recycling: Explain to your children why it is important to recycle and what impact it has on the environment and the community in general. You can talk about the importance of reducing the amount of waste we generate and how recycling helps preserve natural resources and supports local employment. Arranging a visit to one of the country’s waste recovery centers to learn about the process could be a great experience. You can find the one closest to your home at www.ecoins.eco

5. Compost at home: Organic waste (fruit and vegetable scraps), represent more than 50% of the waste generated in homes and one way to reduce it is by producing homemade compost for plants. If you don’t already make compost at home, this is a great opportunity to start and at the same time teach your children the magic and science of composting.

6. Reward effort: You can create a reward system to encourage your children to recycle. For example, together report recycled material to ecoins and choose monthly drawings for products and experiences they want to invest in. This will motivate them to keep recycling on an ongoing basis. More information can be found at www.ecoins.eco