Rural Waste Management

Waste is only waste until we waste it

Nature overwhelms the anthropogenic landscape in the rainforest yet there is a significant amount of trash left behind. Why is that so? There is a poor solid waste management system where point and non-point source pollution can be identified wherever the eye can see. This project aims to first inspire Amazonian river-side communities and later municipalities to minimize pollution by upstarting recycling programs, consistently sensibilizing participants, and taking advantage of compost. Behavorial shift towards trash and initiating new markets in this region will be the greatest threat to the success of the project, on the other hand local idiosyncrasy and job availability are opportunities arising from its success.

Goal

Objectively, we seek to Implement a consistent, intercommunal sensibilization campaign that fuels a circular economy based on recyclable waste and composting systems. We want create cash flow from trash.

Short-term – Manage Muyuna Lodge’s waste management system and make it 100% waste-free. Continue composting efforts.
Middle-term – Pick-up segregated waste from neighbouring communities as we develop a circular economy around waste. Create jobs in waste collection through recycling and agricultural production through compost. Both jobs will be sustained through a consistent sensibilization campaign.
Long-term – Continued public waste sensibilization efforts allow us to routinely sell 1 ton of recyclable waste.

Muyuna Foundation aims to scale a waste management framework from the Lodge to the Yanayacu River basin and San Joaquin de Omaguas region by learning how to efficiently incentivise behavioural change to segregate waste and surge a new market for communal autonomy.

Social

Empowerment. How? Well, trash is generated in all corners of civilization in the Amazon where nature is honoured as it directly effects families’ wellbeing and is regarded as the protagonist of local’s belief system. This intercomunal waste management project gives the ability for riverside communities to actively protect the natural world, which is highly value, if not the highest value locals can agree upon.

Enviornment

Pollution is one of the biggest issues in Iquitos. Even though our efforts are geared towards rural towns off of the Amazon River, waste, if lucky, is disposed in the municipal landfill which has had a history of degrading the Allpahuayo Mishana National Reseve. Muyuna Foundation seeks to involve all the Yanayacu River communities, touristic resorts and cruises, and larger towns off of the Amazonian River .

Education & Youth Development

This project involves a critical educational component for influencing positive reinforcement in learning to do differently and more responsibly than before. In the forefront of this initiative is education. The sensibilization campaign’s biggest challenge will be the 30 and over age group due to being accustomed to a degenerated and, at times, absent waste management system.

The younger generation in the Amazon are highly sensitized about the current environmental crisis due to the times and their spirituality aspiring nature’s well-being. Muyuna Foundation strives to legitimize the local youth group “Regenerators of Yanayacu,” by positioning them at center of all activities this waste managent project proposes.

Voluntourism

All who come and join our initiative will not only have the opporunity to make a positive impact in mitigating trash from unregulated landfills, but the youth who dreams to learn and participate in cleaning their beloved enviornment will be moved, motivated to further your impact.

One day at a time:

We are finishing getting our house in order. In addition to our highly functional internal composting program, the foundation is currently upstarting a recycling program with the Lodge and neighbouring community, San Juan de Yanayacu. This phase we call: Learning by doing. As we sensitize the staff and our neighbours in segregating waste successfully, the proper methodology can be developed.

Current:

Segregating recyclable and compostable waste and putting them into sustainable waste systems at the Lodge
Evaluating segregated trash with different recycling suppliers
Preparing composting operations in Lodge for upcoming high-touristic season, as well as communal applications
Peruvian recycling market research
Implementing sustainably-focused Muyuna Lodge operations and logistics management to become waste free
Monitoring quality of trash segregation processes at various collection points
Sensibilization campaigns in Lodge and neighbouring riverside communities
Designing a circular economic framework and solid waste management system to increase capacity of segregated waste collection

The impact of these sustainable waste management tactics goes far and near. Currently, we are empowering those nearest to us, their efforts although relatively small, are destined to eventually inspire a great environmental and social impact.

Tourism Innovation

Compost, Recycling & Effective Waste Management

Recently, Muyuna Lodge is participating in sensibilization campaigns and starting to segregate their waste: non-recycables, recycables, and compostables. The team of Muyuna Foundation is consistently engaging in versitile sensibilization efforts as behavioural change demands authentic engagement where participant’s value system is represented throughout the cultural shift. This process, although difficult, has showed many signs for success and progress since starting this sustainable waste management initaitve.

4 classified recyable materiales are actively collected and transferred to recycling center: tetra-pack, paper, plastic, metals
7 tons of rich compost generated
100% waste-free Lodge initiative is currently undertaken by Muyuna Foundation

Enviornmental Conservation & Amazonian Resilience

Landfill Mitigation

The Sustainable Rural Waste Management project aims to focus on educating rural Amazonian community participants in the ACR Tamishyacu-Tahuayo to control their trash into viable and sustainable means of disposal. Muyuna Foundation is learning to best design waste sensbilization campagins to succuessfully facilatate this environmental conservation tactic. Town by town, we aim to increase our capacity by initiating local circular economies based on utilizing waste output. As a response to communal participaction, the collective effort will have a significant effect in minimizing enviornmental degredation, river contamination, rainforest pollution, and an increased envionrnmental impact by the reservation’s commitiment in protecting the Amazon rainforst.

2 ACR Tamishyacu – Tahauyo riverside communites are currently undergoing the Sustainable Rural Waste Management project
1 ton of recyclables are currently being collected in the Yanayacu River basin and mitigated from the local degenerated landfill

Youth Development

Regenerators of Yanayacu

The Amazonian riverside community youth we have encountered are by far the most enthusiastic participants of Muyuna Foundation’s Sustainable Rural Waste Management project. We count with this excitement to keep community elders motivated in actively trying to change their life-long relationship with generated trash. As a result of this social effect, Muyuna Foundation coordinates reusable material arts & crafts workshops, riverside community clean-ups, and voluntourism activities centred on environmental education. During our community engagement, we came across the self-acclaimed environmental youth group named “The Regenerators of Yanayacu,” and have been so inspired by their work that we now include them as part of our team in Muyuna Foundation, as local environmental activists and educators.

1 financed enviornemtnal youth group
9 public categorized trash bin implemented in San Juan de Yanayacu, planning a sensibilization campaign to assist their waste management system