Recycling in Vitacura, Ñuñoa and Peñalolén

Realistically speaking, I believe that any large-scale and successful recycling program in Santiago must be economically competitive with conventional waste disposal systems. Currently there is no such sustainable system, which plays a large role as to why recycling is so limited. But that does not mean that the situation is hopeless. As a developing country, Chile faces different cultural, economical and institutional challenges than developed nations such as the United States; distinct challenges require distinct solutions. Whereas two high-profile examples better resemble recycling programs in developed countries, a third system in the pilot stage is more appropriate to local challenges faced in Santiago.

The Punto Limpio in Vitaura is a modern facility that accepts paper, carton, plastic and glass bottles and containers, aluminum cans, old electronics, hazardous materials, old clothes and furniture…basically anything possible to recycle in Santiago… but it is only a drop-off location. The majority of residents must themselves drop off recyclables at the facility, which makes the facility underutilized as it requires people with cars to take the time out of their day to drop off materials. It is a valuable educational facility, but an entirely impractical model for the majority of comunas due to its high cost of operation, effort required and lack of personal vehicles.

Ñuñoa has a system most comparable to that in the United States, where dump trucks make rounds through all the streets in the comuna, collecting the recyclables, which are then brought to a separation facility. However, this also faces challenges; the residents must voluntarily separate their recyclables from trash and place it on the street appropriate days, which sounds simple enough but there is relatively low participation. Routes run six days a week and an assembly line staffed with workers separates the materials, causing high employment costs as well as costs for infrastructure and equipment. As always, education is continuous and key to increased recycling and success rates.

A third distinct recycling program is modeled after a program in Brazil, being far more Latin American than the other two examples which have had limited success in recycling rates. One of the highest overall rates of recycling comes from the unorganized sector of recicladores- basically unemployed men riding tricycles and collecting paper and carton to return in for a bit of cash. Two pilot programs in Peñalolén organize and systemize the recicladores and weigh the recyclables, but divide the money earned from the buyer differently. Besides taking advantage of the recicladores, the programs also have corporate sponsorships, which are essential as the municipality would not have the funds to implement and maintain the programs on its own. Although the long-term goal is eventually self-sustainability without the financial assistance from the corporations, in the beginning stages it is necessary and also adds to corporate social responsibility, being beneficial for the municipality as well as the company.

One of the recycling pilot programs in Peñalolén is sponsored by Cola-Cola and partly administered by Casa de la Paz, and the other by the electric company, Chilectra. This model from Chilectra is based off a program from Brazil, and is using Peñalolén to test the model in Chile because it approximately represents the wide variety of socioeconomic distribution in the country. Both programs were implemented in September of 2010, in separate sections of the comuna involving different neighborhoods and participants. From the surface, the programs look relatively similar. But the largest, most basic distinction is that in the Ecochilectra program participants receive a voucher towards their electric bill based upon what they recycle, and the Coca-Cola program the voluntary participants are not compensated. In order to accomplish this, the recicladores in the Ecochilectra program weigh the materials at each house they visit and then give the participant a voucher towards their electric bill based upon what they recycled, which normally comes to 1-2 electric bills per year. The recicladores are also given a portion of the earnings, as does a portion go into the maintenance of the centro de acopio (Stations where the recyclables are brought, weighed again, and stored temporarily). On the other hand, in the Coca-Cola participants are given four different bags to separate recyclables, and the recicladores go to the houses on the route and exchange recyclables with empty bags. The exchange could last less than a minute, as no weighing is required and participants do not receive compensation. The recyclables are then further separated and weighed in a lot where the buyer truck comes to take the recyclables from the site the same day. The recicladores receive all the money from the buyer, and is thus relatively more lucrative for the recyclers than the Ecochilectra program; however, because there is less incentives to join it also has fewer participants.   

The fact is that currently there are other financial priorities such as health and education in municipalities, and those strapped on resources are unable to allocate funds to recycling. Unless the societal value of recycling increases enough to make it a priority, there is an increase in revenues of the municipalities, recycling becomes profitable or the equivalent to the cost of disposing of trash, it is highly unlikely that recycling will become institutionalized across Santiago. However, the pilot programs in Peñalolén that take advantage of corporate support and utilize the benefits of local resources such as recicladores I believe have a far greater chance of becoming successful and sustainable. If success is measured in rates of recycling, that is.

Tricycles such as this are commonly used as a form of income to collect cardboard and paper then sell it to a buyer. Although unorganized, it is one of the most "successful" forms of recycling in the city, significantly increasing the recycle rate of these materials. This custom is organized with recicladores given official routes in the Peñalolén programs. Whereas traditionally the job of a recicladore is frowned down upon, the program gives a new legitimacy and respect to the profession, now being viewed as a "green job" 

Half-crescents are also used in Peñalolén to collect recyclables from apartment complexes in the Coca-Cola program 

The materials are picked up by a buyer. Although the prices do not drastically too often, they are liable to change, thus making the success and sustainability of the programs quite dependent on the prices given for materials. 

Loading the truck in Peñalolén

34 recycling programs for 34 municipalities...

Recycling barely exists in Santiago, and even less so in Chile. Yes, the culture and habit to separate trash for recycling does not exist for a large portion of the population. But my biggest frustration is that even if I want to make the effort to recycle, living in Providencia (in a building of ~800 people, nonetheless), there are literally no options to recycle anything other than glass, newspapers, old books and batteries- unless I bring my recyclables to one of the university campuses, urban parks, or public buildings that have separate receptacles for recycling. But looking closely there are several separate initiatives and recycling projects within the city- the Punto Limpio in Vitacura, recycling pick-up in Ñuñoa Recicla, the Coca-Cola or EcoChilectra pilot programs in Peñalolén, vermicultura in La Pintana… but nearly every single project is completely separate from the other, serving a different municipality and being funded distinctly. This separation of the municipalities- thirty-four in all for Santiago- is fundamental and I believe a huuuuuge institutional challenge, one that is often overlooked by foreigners criticizing Santiago for lack of recycling.

Each comuna essentially has its own trash system, just as it generally has its own schools and hospitals. By and large it is the same with recycling, unless a separate, non-governmental entity (such as CODEFF) organizes a limited recycling program to raise funds. I was told that this system of decentralization was installed during the Pinochet regime… believable. As one can imagine the debates of inequality are rampant in Santiago; some municipalities such as Providencia and Santiago Centro have a larger tax base and are capable of spending many times more per resident than comunas such as La Pintana and Peñalolén, which have less income. Fact of the matter is, it is (~3x's) more costly to recycle a ton of trash at the Punto Limpio in Vitacura (a wealthier comuna) than it is to conventionally dispose of a ton of trash. The objective of the center is not economical, but rather exists for environmental and education benefits in one of the wealthier municipalities. This promulgates the cycle of disparity, as poorer comunas become less environmentally conscious (not to mention have inferior health and education systems). The bottom line is the recycling programs within the metropolitan region are not yet economically sustainable, even though the recycled materials can be sold to help make up for costs; it is still less expensive for the comunas to send recyclables to a landfill.

Part of the reason that the programs are so costly is that they are inefficient, and part of the reason that they are inefficient is that even people in the service area do not participate in the recycling program. Increased education and 100% participation would greatly increase the efficiency of the programs, but with sporadic participation a lot of manpower is used for collection and administration with relatively little results. Additionally, the programs sell the recycled materials to a buyer like Recupak, which makes all recycling programs that I am aware of dependent on the prices of materials, which vary and fluctuate. Waste is diverted from traditional modes of disposal which lowers that cost, but the combined earning and savings does not offset the costs of administering the public recycling programs. 

    

All thirty-four comunas are NOT in a position where they can spend resources on recycling, which would not have high public participation anyways, especially in its initiation.  Although the central government encourages recycling, it is difficult for municipalities to implement programs as it must come from within their budget. More creative initiatives… osea…programs developed keeping in mind characteristics and culture of Latin American and Santiago in particular, I believe have far greater potential than programs modeled on the US or Europe. Once a model proves promising and sustainable enough to at least become competitive with the costs of conventional waste disposal in the poorest of municipalities, it will eventually be possible to recycle in Santiago.