Turning Lake Atitlan Plastic Trash into Cash.

Plastic Trash is present around the shorelines, roads, and villages of Lake Atitlan causing a pending environmental disaster.

For years studies have been conducted by Orgs, Groups, and NGOs about this problem, the Lake is dying Plastic Trash is one, sewage, and the impact of Tourism has created an impending doom for this Lake and the tourism industry that fuels the economy.

One village on the shores of majestic Lake Atitlan took the first steps.  In 2016, Mayor Mauricio Mendez issued an unprecedented, zero-tolerance ban on single-use plastics in San Pedro La Laguna, including shopping bags, straws, Styrofoam, and containers. Other villages around the lake have not followed the example of San Pedro La Laguna.

Panajachel is the main gateway to Lake Atitlan over the years I have seen plastic trash grow to a point where no matter where you look one sees plastic everywhere.

Many complain that this is the Municipalities problem to solve. The fact is it is all our problems to solve and to engage in ways to help our Lake.

Groups on Lake Atitlan Social Media complain about the Plastic Trash problem. Complaining is another form of denial. Therefore, what are we Turned Lake Atitlan Plastic Trash into Cash?

I am not talking about another project study or program. The videos attached in this blog post detail how Plastic has been Trash turned into Cash.

Plastic Trash is made into Pavers and Patio Stones.

Pavers used around Lake Atitlan, primary roads, private drives, and used around new home construction.

The videos attached show all that is needed to make High-Quality Pavers is a large pot, a heat source to melt the plastic, hundreds of plastic bags, no cement is needed, sand and a simple mold, and a few basic tools you are in business.

If we paid for plastic, collected, and delivered it to a shop to make pavers, the trash now has an economic value to pick up trash. For each village around the Lake to establish a simple shop taking plastic to saleable products is the thought.

Lake Atitlan has talented Artisans in every village. The videos demonstrate that useable and saleable tote bags made out of plastic are easy to produce. In this example, there is no need for investments in costly tools.