It’s not just the issue of landfills that makes up Puerto Rico’s trash problem.
Yes, there are perhaps too many landfills, filled with unsorted trash due to a lack of adequate recycling, and insufficient control of runoff that potentially contaminates drinking water reservoirs and beaches.
Garbage lined highway near the Loiza River, near San Juan, Puerto Rico (Oct. 2006)
But it’s also a cultural issue related to the acceptance of trash filled streets, beaches, and even backyards. In summary, the massively abundant litter (along with dump sites and old cars) distributed throughout the entire island likely indicate that the majority of citizens either don’t care, or have absolutely no desire or ability to do anything about it.
Spending a little time here in Puerto Rico, you will eventually ask the question: Where the heck are the garbage cans?
They seem to be missing. So it’s no wonder that the lack of trash cans in public areas combined with a pre-existing blanket of garbage does not give anyone much of an incentive to do anything other than add to the problem.
But it also is rare to see anyone making any attempt to pick it up (i.e. the trash) – including government workers, or sub-contracted firms to provide the service. And that goes for road kill as well, which lingers far longer than necessary. Visual: Cat flattened into a 2D image on the pavement from being run over so many times.
This entry introduces the issue. Next steps are to gather more information, and start recommending solutions.
The Insider
