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Environment: in Guatemala, a river covered in plastic
In Guatemala, the Rio Motagua contains 3% of the world’s plastic pollution. There is no trash collection in most of the country. – (France 2)
In Guatemala, the Rio Motagua contains 3% of the world’s plastic pollution. There is no garbage collection in the majority of the country.
In Guatemala, the 426 km of water of the Rio Motagua are covered in plastic. The watercourse accounts for 3% of global plastic pollution. For several decades, the green hills north of the capital have given way to piles of waste. The head of a local NGO wants to change the situation. With the help of another association, he installed a floating barrier in the middle of the river in June. It is able to capture some of the waste before it reaches the ocean. Some days this reaches more than 400 tonnes.
The course of the river modified by pollution
In Guatemala, most towns and villages do not have a trash collection system. Residents throw their garbage directly into the river or into illegal dumpsites. The course of the river has been modified, with the banks being eaten away by garbage. The water is so polluted that it is impossible to use it to cultivate the land.