The GEAP promotes the 5Rs towards a reduction and recycling awareness in the Island of Enchantment
Environmental education sessions were developed in various cities in Puerto Rico for the annual celebration of the Environment.
Puerto Rico has become globally known as the Island of Enchantment for its invaluable natural beauty, however, the disposal of solid waste in the country, is currently one of the main problems, considered by various sources as a serious environmental threat.
For this reason, the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace (GEAP) celebrated the World Environment Day (June 5), with environmental education sessions that focused on the 5Rs of recycling, to contribute to the formation of an awareness of reduction and reuse of solid waste.
This initiative was developed in summer camps, in the cities of Cayey, Cidra, Ponce, Caguas and San Juan, for a week; as a line of action of the International Program "Children of Mother Earth", which works for the protection, defense and restoration of the planet. (See: Institutional Video Children of Mother Earth).
Around 400 children and young people between 5 and 14 years old, participated in environmental activities, which revolved around promoting actions in favor of the environment by highlighting the 5R's (Recycle, Reuse, Reduce, Reject and Reeducate).
Through lectures and workshops attendees learned various ways to reduce, repair and repurpose objects that have been discarded; at the same time, they created crafts with recycled materials, such as pen holders, bulletin boards, among other things.
Regarding the generation of solid waste in Puerto Rico, in recent years, a rate of 3.8 million tons per year (10,000 tons per day), and a disposal rate of 2.7 million tons per year (7,000 daily) tons has been calculated.
Concerning the strategies for deflection and recycling of waste, the current legislation in the island states that at least 35% of the waste produced locally must be recycled (Act 70 of Reduction and Recycling of 1992), however, currently only 10% of waste is recycled. (Data of the Solid Waste Authority)
During the workshops, the GEAP emphasized the importance of implementing the 5Rs as an ecological strategy aimed at people of all ages, in order to create recycling habits and contribute to the formation of human beings with environmental and sustainable responsibility.
These environmental activities were held in other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, United States and Spain, for annual celebration of the Environment; highlighting the need to promote environmental education and culture for peace of Mother Earth and a Sustainable Development, one of the work areas of the program "Children of Mother Earth".
"If the States and Nations commit to have effective plans for environmental education and communication to strengthen the individual and social culture of sustainability and love for Mother Earth, in a few years we can see the result of this care in a substantial improvement of the environment and restoration of all the resources of our Mother Earth. "-Dr. William Soto, Executive President of the GEAP.
Other activities of the Program "Children of Mother Earth" in Puerto Rico are:
-The Proposal "Mother Earth as a living being with rights" was presented during the meeting of the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas
-200 Families in Puerto Rico were sensitized towards a sustainable management of forests and freshwater
-Puerto Ricans pay homage to Mother Earth and work for her protection and restoration
