“As a country, we need to become more effective regarding environmental issues. There have been some efforts from the government, but as a society we don’t have a culture of recycling. So, this was a great way for us to show what can be done.” Christy says.
Due to restrictions and lockdowns, they were prevented from physical events they had hoped for, like rubbish collection. Instead, they focused on online activities and information dissemination.
“We invited people from all over Peru to participate. We set up social media groups where people could share their stories of why this mattered to them. People left tips and suggestions of businesses who have a sustainable approach and offer alternatives to single-use plastic items like toothbrushes. I didn’t know you could use banana leaves to protect foodstuff, for example, Now I don’t need plastic for that.”
They also invited experts to hold informative talks online.
“A professor held a small talk on circular economy for all the participants. All these things made us learn new aspects. We need more initiatives like this, even if they are small. It sometimes seems like the climate issue is in the background, and we need to move it up to the front.”
