An integrated, public-private approach to reduce marine litter in the Caribbean coast of Guatemala and Honduras
The Clean Caribbean project: an integrated, public-private approach to reduce marine litter in the Caribbean coast of Guatemala and Honduras, aims to reduce the amount of solid waste that is carried by the rivers Motagua in Guatemala, and Chamelecon and Ulua in Honduras, into the Mesoamerican Caribbean. This project is supported by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), based on a decision of the German Bundestag.
In Guatemala, the Motagua river carries the residues and solid waste of 63 cities, including parts of the Guatemala City Metropolitan Area, and other important urban centers of the Northeastern region of the country, such as Teculutan and Rio Hondo, cities that have developed in the Motagua watershed, as well as Puerto Barrios, of the most important marine ports of the Guatemalan Atlantic Ocean.
In Honduras, the Chamelecon and Ulua River carry residues and solid waste from the main industrial cities of Honduras, San Pedro Sula, Choloma and El Progreso, as well as Puerto Cortes, one of the most important seaports of Northern Honduras.
In Guatemala, the Motagua River carries residues and solid waste from 63 cities in the country. 66% of the residues and solid waste produced in urban areas are not collected. There is no guarantee that the 34% collected has an adequate final disposal. Only 4.5% is recycled.
In Honduras, half of the cities are responsible for 54% of the residues and solid waste discharged into the Chamelecon and Ulua river basins. 87% of the residues and solid waste is burned or deposited in illegal dumps. Only 11% is managed in a sanitary landfill and only 2% is recycled.
Both countries are experiencing rapid urbanization, adding more pressure to an already difficult scenario in terms of proper residues and solid waste management, so the resulting knowledge will be shared with other municipalities and companies.
The Clean Caribbean project will be implemented specifically in 8 cities of Guatemala and Honduras.
• Guatemala: Guatemala City, Teculutan, Gualan, and Puerto Barrios.
• Honduras: San Pedro Sula, Choloma, El Progreso, and Puerto Cortes.
These municipalities were selected due to their importance to the watersheds of the rivers Motagua in Guatemala, and Chamelecon and Ulua in Honduras.
Guatemala
Municipality of Guatemala
Municipality of Gualán
Municipality of Teculután
Municipality of Puerto Barrios
Guatemalan Center of Cleaner Production
CREADE
Behavioral Insight Team
Honduras
Secretary of Natural Resources and Environment SERNA
Municipality of San Pedro Sula
Municipality of Choloma
Municipality of Puerto Cortes
Municipality of El Progreso
Sustainable Development Network
Behavioral Insight Team
The Clean Caribbean project started at the end of 2023 and will reduce the amount of plastics and other solid waste that reach the Caribbean Ocean. We share some of the actions that we have completed.
Recently, the Clean Caribbean Project, implemented by WWF Mesoamerica alongside strategic allies of Honduras and Guatemala, hosted the inception workshop, in the week of January the 29th to February 1st. This event was the framework to begin with the actions that the project will promote to reduce the number of plastics and other solid residues that make it to the Mesoamerican Reef from the rivers Motagua (Guatemala), and Ulua and Chamelecon in Honduras. Read more.
Last week, as part of the actions of the Clean Caribbean Project, representatives of WWF Mesoamerica, alongside with the Behavioural Insights Team, visited the eight cities that are prioritized by the project. The purpose of the trip was to identify key behaviors of the citizens and their relation with solid waste, as well as to analyze strategic points, and thus develop a strategy that advocates to reduce the plastics that reach the Mesoamerican Reef. Read more
As part of the Clean Caribbean project, WWF Mesoamerica and its project partners began strategic planning for separate waste collection routes in the municipalities of Puerto Cortes, San Pedro Sula, Choloma, and El Progreso during the third week of August this year.
As part of the Clean Caribbean Project’s initiatives, during the first week of September, the municipality of Gualan, Zacapa, identified five sampling routes to assess its solid waste. These routes prioritize residential and commercial areas. The information collected between September 24 and 30 through these characterizations will be used to produce a document that will inform decision-making to better manage the waste generated in the municipality.
The WWF Mesoamerica team, along with local governments and partners from the Caribe Limpio project, began a study to characterize common residential solid waste in the municipalities of Puerto Cortes and Choloma.
In September, the WWF Mesoamerica team, together with the implementing partners of the Caribe Limpio project, began activities to integrate waste collectors into the value chain in El Progreso and Puerto Cortés, Honduras. This initiative is a key step toward establishing separate collection routes in these municipalities.
In October, the municipalities of El Progreso and San Pedro Sula, both in Honduras, conducted a characterization of household solid waste to determine the quantity and characteristics of the waste generated in the residential areas of each municipality. The field phase took place in San Pedro Sula from October 8 to 16, while the visits in El Progreso were conducted between October 21 and 28.
With the aim of validating the behavior-change communication campaigns to be implemented in Guatemala and Honduras, the WWF Mesoamerica team held a series of virtual and in-person meetings with representatives from Guatemala’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the municipalities of Guatemala, Gualán, Teculután, and Puerto Barrios, as well as with representatives from the Honduran Secretariat of Natural Resources and Environment and the municipalities of San Pedro Sula, Choloma, El Progreso, and Puerto Cortés, to validate the creative concept, visual identity, and key messages of the campaigns.
In Guatemala, the municipality of Puerto Barrios, Izabal, in partnership with WWF Mesoamerica, has established the collection routes for recyclable materials to be implemented as part of the Clean Caribbean project. These routes will be rolled out in two phases, covering the municipality’s main urban and rural areas.
Delegates from the municipalities of Choloma, El Progreso, Puerto Cortes, and San Pedro Sula in Honduras, as well as from Gualan, Teculutan, and Puerto Barrios, joined the team of professionals from WWF Mesoamerica who are part of the Clean Caribbean project on a field tour to build capacity in the sustainability of municipal waste sorting systems. The tour took place from October 23 to 26.
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN), the municipalities of Guatemala, Gualán, Teculután, Zacapa, Puerto Barrios, and Izabal, along with WWF Mesoamerica, today launched the “Guate Clasifica” campaign, a joint effort to encourage the Guatemalan population to separate common solid waste at home or in the office, with the aim of reducing pollution in the Motagua River and the Caribbean Sea.
The “Caribe Limpio” project campaign aims to reduce pollution in the Ulúa and Chamelecón rivers, as well as in the Caribbean Sea.
The event also featured the presentation of the separate waste collection route.
As part of Component 3 of the Clean Caribbean project, WWF Mesoamerica held workshops to promote a series of circular economy initiatives with key representatives from Guatemala and Honduras, with the aim of laying the groundwork and increasing awareness and interest in the topic within the project’s area of influence.
The online course offers a unique opportunity to learn from international experts in integrated waste management and the circular economy.
Now, Spanish speakers around the world have the opportunity to expand their knowledge of the circular economy through the course *Going Circular: The EPR Guide*, which is available entirely in Spanish on WWF Akademy.
The 16 municipalities that conform the Sacatepequez Department Association (MANCOMUSAC) have joined the “Guate Clasifica” campaign, thanks to the support of Latitud R, Fundación Avina, Reciclalos, and WWF Mesoamerica, to sort their waste at the source, support the department’s waste pickers, and manage waste properly.
This project is supported by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, based on a decision of the German Bundestag.
