Development & Aid, Environment, Tierramerica - Ecobrief

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Not Much Garbage Recycled

CARACAS, May 11 2005 (IPS) - Just 17 percent of the 20,000 tons of waste produced daily in Venezuela is recycled, according to studies by the environmental organization Vitalis.

Furthermore, ''just 30 percent of garbage undergoes adequate treatment in sanitary landfills, and the rest is merely dumped, which leads to contamination problems,'' Vitalis president Diego Díaz told Tierramérica.

On top of that, he added, ''40 percent of the garbage arriving at the landfills is paper, which is dangerous because it generates methane gas, which depletes the planet's ozone layer,'' said the expert.

''The first step for resolving this problem, in the medium term, is to raise awareness among all citizens,'' Díaz said.

Each Venezuelan generates 800 grams to one kilogram of garbage every day.