The donation from Quito organized by the Ecuadorian Corporation for Social Responsibility and Sustainability (Ceres) gathered on December 15 several environmentally friendly initiatives that are monitored and financially supported by private companies, academia, civil society, among others.

On this day, Fundación Botellas de Amor aimed to save 1,000 recycled bottles, which were delivered by schools, ordinary citizens, companies, among others. Pilar Ramos, director of the Foundation, explained that her organization works hand in hand with Econciencia. It’s an interesting business model, since the Foundation becomes sustainable by supplying the raw material (bottle of love), since the company that has a plant to process that plastic (in the industrial south of Quito) pays for that material. raw materials or turn them into products which in turn are delivered to the Foundation for sale.

Ricardo Alvarado, communications coordinator of Ceres, explained that as part of the Sustainable Action initiative, the goal is for the private sector, civil society and the academic community to support initiatives that are already underway in the country and that way they can be multiplied. Twelve initiatives on environmental issues, education, employability and the reduction of inequality were selected following a tender at the beginning of the year. He explains that private companies from different fields have joined the Sustainable Action initiative. One of them is work and accompaniment to some of the initiatives and protests of the Sustainable Action; escort in training, relationship, networking, visibility, among other things.

But how are the love bottles put together?

Pilar Ramos, from Fundación Botellas de Amor, comments that these bottles are filled with pure plastic such as packaging for sweets, cookies, detergent bags, etc., and will have a purpose as a raw material for the production of what is known as wood.plastic. In any container with bottles of water or shampoo or liquid detergent, chlorine, among other things, the family can refill those bottles and try to compact those little plastics inside the bottle. They can then deliver them to the Recycling Laboratory (in front of the Shyris stands) or to more than 20 schools cooperating with the foundation. When a school delivers a ton of bottles, they can earn a free picnic table. Ramos says that one ton of plastic is equal to one saved tree.

The bottles eventually become plastic wood to make children’s games, tables, chairs, enclosures, homes for vulnerable sectors, among others.

Around 11:00, Cecilia López, from the educational institution Los Shyris Iesval, arrived at the site to deliver at least 200 bottles that had been saved by her students over several months. For the teacher, this initiative is important because it creates environmental awareness among students, through which it is practiced in families and even in the neighborhood.

For Alvarado, it is very interesting to see how there is a private company that is “reversing” the effect of pollution created by human beings, with a series of initiatives that help products get a second life.

Among the initiatives presented at the donation are the Recycling Laboratory, where citizens can hand in all their recycling: cardboard, paper, plastic; but also waste from electronic items, among other things cooking oil or tuna cans.

There was also Blink, a new educational strategy designed for rural areas. The idea is to give students access to new learning methodologies. This project not only provides new tools and knowledge, but also experiments with innovative methodologies in a real educational environment, evaluating their effectiveness and continuously improving them.

The donation was requested for the delivery of mobile devices in good condition that must meet the following characteristics:

There was also the Raíz Caemba Foundation, which is dedicated to building bamboo houses for vulnerable people. However, it receives donations from private companies that help raise funds for the cause.

You could also see the Casa de la Mujer Textile Production Association, which sells bags, rag dolls, among other things, made from recycled and donated material.