Panama's water wheel waste collector keeps plastic at bay October 12, 2024

Wanda has collected 256,000 kilos of trash in two years, its operator says (Martin BERNETTI) (Martin BERNETTI/AFP/AFP)

By AFP - Agence France Presse

Panama's waterwheel waste collector keeps plastic at bay

Juan José Rodríguez

A garbage-collecting machine powered by a water wheel and solar panels has prevented hundreds of tons of plastic and other types of garbage from Panama from fouling the mangroves and the ocean.

All types of waste flow down the rivers that run through Panama City and end up on the Central American nation's coastline.

To combat the pollution, the non-profit Marea Verde Foundation installed a machine called Wanda two years ago to collect and separate the waste for recycling.

“We've captured 256,000 kilos of waste that would be in the mangroves and the sea if it weren't for Wanda,” said Laura Gonzalez, the foundation's executive director.

The waste is stopped by a barrier on the Juan Diaz River, which runs through Panama City before several workers separate the waste, which is sent by a long conveyor belt to a huge container to be recycled.

The Wanda also has solar panels in case the hydroelectric system that harnesses energy from the river's current fails.

No other river in Panama has a similar system, so tons of waste continue to reach the sea.

The country's coastal mangroves are a vital resting place for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds, but pollution and urban growth pose a serious threat.

Experts estimate that 30% of Panama City's garbage is not collected and that around 100,000 tons of the country's waste end up in the sea every year.

When it rains, the rising waters wash away the garbage, which is often dumped on riverbanks in the slums of the city of 1.4 million inhabitants.

“We're working hard every day to make sure that this garbage doesn't reach the shore,” Ezequiel Vargas, leader of the team that operates the Wanda, told AFP.

“Unfortunately, the garbage arrives constantly every day,” he said.

- Environmental disaster

Uncollected garbage covers the streets and residential areas of Panama City and its surroundings, while on the coast, there are piles of all kinds of waste.

Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro called the situation of the rivers an “environmental disaster” in July when he took office.

“We can't keep polluting our rivers and seas,” he said.

According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme, Panama City generates around 2,300 tons of waste a day, of which 30% - mainly plastic - ends up in rivers, on the coast, and in the sea.

Around 61,500 tons of solid waste from Panamanian cities reaches the sea every year through sewers and drains, according to the report.

The garbage captured by Wanda includes plastic bottles, shampoo containers, and soccer balls.

“It's crazy. We received a plastic unicorn a few days ago,” said Gonzalez.

According to Marea Verde, there are eight other similar facilities around the world, including one in the US city of Baltimore, but Wanda is the only one of its kind in Latin America.

It began operating in September 2022 and captured 130 tons of waste in its first year.

But the amount of waste dumped in the river continues to increase.

“This year, we will probably exceed what we collected in the first year,” said Gonzalez.

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