In May 2020, a document from the Health Ministry of Honduras and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on the proper management of solid waste was presented in Tela, Atlántida department.
The report was presented to the mayors of the 298 municipalities of Honduras, PAHO reported that only 11 of the 298 municipalities that make up Honduras have the necessary infrastructure to adequately dispose of waste.
And he emphasized that garbage produced in homes, industry sectors and hospitals, is an issue that needs to be taken seriously, in a responsible and urgent way.
The largest cities, however, produce 54% of solid waste. The problem is acute in the rural sector which lacks adequate system to dispose of waste and adequate separation and recycling.
To adequately manage solid waste in rural areas, the dispersion of the population must be considered. That is, not everyone lives in the downtown community.
Perhaps another point to keep in mind is that, taking measures that are environmentally friendly, although they can be more worked out can benefit from that activity.
In rural areas the transformation of organic waste into compost is a benefit, used to fertilize the soil and obtain better crops. This activity should be accompanied by community organizations and authorities.
Local authorities should begin the work of teaching adults that they must take responsibility for separating, methodically, organic waste from other waste such as plastic, cardboard, metal, and glass.
And the authorities must have an area for waste processing, through degradation or recycling, avoiding unnecessary incineration of waste, and avoid emissions of gases that pollute and worsen the damage caused by climate change.
In addition, the authorities should seek the accompaniment of organizations that guide them and provide tools to contribute to the development of appropriate waste actions.
“Working on integrated solid waste management at the country level is not easy. It requires alliances, requires a large commitment from all partners, requires accepting responsibilities,” said Dr. Lillian Reneau-Vernon, PAHO’s representative in Honduras.
She also said it is important that the community has the “willingness to learn and move forward in a constantly changing process – in which technologies and procedures are developed on a daily basis that must be applied to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of operations”.
FORBETTERCOMMUNITY with its Santa Cruz Project wants to start by getting a more active attitude from the community and local authorities to the problem of garbage management.
And demonstrate that together with, authorities and citizens, accompanied by FORBETTERCOMMUNITY can transform a community, and that it can be placed as a leader and profit from a new activity and that they still have much to develop in Honduras..
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