Ecobreves – CUBA: Useful Trash

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

HAVANA, Mar 14 2005 (IPS) - A modern system for collecting urban solid waste in the Havana district of Playa will allow conversion of biodegradable waste into fertilizer and ''biogas'', as well as helping to protect health and the environment. The project — to be implemented gradually throughout the capital and the rest of Cuba — is backed by two million dollars from Switzerland through the Secretariat of State for Economic Affairs, and includes citizen participation in separating out different types of waste, according to the initiative's promoters.

Households will be given receptacles for paper and cardboard, metals, plastics and glass. Biogas produced from the organic materials, meanwhile, may be used as a fuel for vehicles and in the home.

The launch of the project involves several institutions, including the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the Ministry for Foreign Investment and Economic Collaboration, and community groups in Playa