Help Us Recycle 5,250 Pounds of Plastic Wastes

The world's 2nd Eco-Store is now up and running! And here is how your donations are making a difference in our community!

The inauguration of Eco-Store Panimaquin was held on August 8th, 2018. Panimaquin is a small hamlet of approximately 80 families located just 7 km from our town of San Andres Itzapa in the department of Chimaltenango just 70 km west of the capital of Guatemala City. Eco-Store Panimaquin is currently located in the house of doña Elisa, a single mother of 3 children. When she is not attending the Eco-Store, Doña Elisa can often be found attending the crops in her fields, taking her horse to pasture or sitting down to weave a beautiful huipil that is characteristic of the area. 

The inauguration was a success and was well attended by community members and in its first month of operation the Eco-Store has taken in over 200 eco-bricks and has recycled over 50 pounds of inorganic materials! Stay tuned for the opening of Eco-Store #3!

Today we want you to meet Carolina. Thanks to your generous donations, Carolina is now the world's first Eco-Store attendant! Carolina is a 39 year old mother of 5 originally from the town of San Andres Itzapa. Regarding why she wants to be an Eco-Store attendent, Carolina comments: "It helps me because in this way I can help other people to remove the garbage from our community and economically it helps me because I am earning something I can reinvest in the education of my children." Carolina also added how the Eco-Store is helping the community. She recounted us a story about a young boy who came to the Eco-Store to exhcange 4 eco-bricks for 2 pounds of sugar and a package of coffee in order to help his mom, who is supporting him in his studies. The young boy was happy to be able to repay his mom in this way. Carolina ends this account of the young boy by saying, "These are experiences that one sees that the Eco-Store does help the families."

Here's a little more about how we are using your donations. On May 26th the inauguration of Eco-Store #1 took place. As part of this event we invited members of the neighborhood community to learn more about the project, how to properly make eco-bricks to exchange in the store and what items were available for exchange. We also had time for some games, a raffle, a ribbon cutting ceremony and a snack! In just its first week of operation, Eco-Store #1 yielded a total of 140 eco-bricks!  That is over 35 pounds of plastic trash that won't be burned or won't be thrown in our rivers and make its way to the ocean! And the eco-bricks keep coming in! In just this first 2 weeks of operation of Eco-Store #1 we have gathered 210 eco-bricks, recycling over 52 pounds of wastes and providing dozens of families with necessary pantry supplies to help their resources go even farther during the week.

The inauguration of Eco-Store #2 in the hamlet of Panimaquin is currently being planned for the end of July. Stay tuned for updates!  

With appreciation and gratitude,

Colleen