La Casa Verde: Community Education and Recycling Center

The main problem with single-use plastic, as well as other forms of waste in general, is that these materials have no perceived value within our society.  We generally use them for as long as they serve us (often only a few seconds) and then we throw them away, never to be thought of again. This is the current model of consumerism upon which our society is based.  We use and throw away, use and throw away. Every single day, 365 days out of the year, over and over again. 

This mentality, of course, produces enormous and almost incomprehensible amounts of trash that contaminate the entire world, which is a serious problem. 

Casa Verde´s solution is simple:  Through education, creativity, and community engagement, we provide a tangible value to what would normally be considered waste and offer a platform through which everyone can get involved in the fight against plastic pollution.

The main problem with plastic is that Earth has no way of naturally processing the material.  As a result, plastic ends up contaminating our communities, polluting our oceans, piling up in landfills, and releasing toxic gases and chemicals when burned.  In Latin America specifically, the following problems are also relevant with regard to the plastic epidemic:

Plastic Prevalence:  Plastic throughout Latin America is everywhere.  It is cheap, convenient, and accessible. As such, it gets used and discarded with reckless abandon.  According to the World Bank, nearly 28 million tons of plastic waste is generated in Latin America each year.

Lack of Waste Management Infrastructure:  Many Latin American countries and communities do not have adequate systems in place to deal with the quantity of waste that is produced.  This includes a lack of public trash bins and lack of accessible trash service. The World Bank calculates that over 90% of waste in low-income countries is mismanaged.

Lack of Environmental Education and Awareness:  There is a general lack of environmental education throughout Latin America, both in schools and culturally.  People of all ages are simply unaware and therefore unconcerned with harmful effects of plastic in our environment.

La Casa Verde is located in the rural, coastal village of Las Peñitas, Nicaragua. Las Peñitas has a population of approximately 2,000 inhabitants whose primary economic activities are small-scale fishing, local commerce, construction, and tourism. Most inhabitants receive a salary at or below minimum-wage, are self-employed, or seek informal employment opportunities wherever possible.

The primary need for most families is Las Peñitas is food security.  Health services are also a concern, however there are several free health clinics locally and in the nearby city of Leon.  Other basic needs for families include items such as clothing, school supplies, and other didactic and recreational materials.

As a community, Las Peñitas is also in need of improved waste management services.  There is a municipal garbage truck that comes once or twice per week to carry the town´s waste to a nearby landfill, but the service is inconsistent and does not reach all of the residential areas of town.  

La Casa Verde addresses these issues through our community recycling and education center by providing members of Las Peñitas and neighboring areas with an incentive-based system for maintaining a clean community in exchange for basic provisions, a variety of services, and other commodities. 

La Casa Verde´s model is based on the simple idea of providing a positive value for materials that are normally considered waste, while also recognizing the inherent negative value that such materials have on the environment.  Here's how it works:

1. Incentive:  We provide our community members with an incentive for bringing a variety of  reusable, recyclable, and upcyclable materials to Casa Verde. This incentive is in the form of eco-points.  All materials that we accept are given a value in eco-points based on weight or quantity and are categorized as follows: 

-Eco-bricks 

-Organic materials 

-Inorganic material (must be pre-separated by type) 

2. Transformation:  All material that we receive through our recycling program is sold or transformed into something of value.  Eco-bricks are used as construction material in our community projects, organic waste is transformed into fertile soil for our community garden/nursery, and inorganic materials are sold, reused, or transformed into one of many upcycled products in which we specialize.  These products are then sold in our gift shop or placed in our eco-market, which is explained next. 

3. Echange System:  Upon earning eco-points, community members have access to our eco-market, where they can “spend” their points on a variety of items.  Items in the eco-market are separated into 4 categories:  

-Food:  Basic provisions, local produce, coupons for local restaurants.

-Services:  Massage, yoga, surf classes, and more offered by members of the local community.

-Entertainment:  Admission to activities such as movie nights and other community events hosted at La Casa Verde.

-Other Commodities:  Plants from our nursery, material donations such as clothing and school supplies, or a variety of educational games and other items that we ourselves produce.

4. Education:  Our educational model is simple and focuses on values and abilities.  First, we teach the value of protecting our natural environment and reducing the amount of inorganic waste that we produce and consume.  And second, we teach the ability to recognize the potential value in any given resource and transform that same resource into something of greater value.  We offer regular classes in our community center and also travel to other communities to give workshops.     

5. Networking:  We use our eco-market and other programs as a platform to connect people, connect communities, and connect the world to collectively change our perception of what is waste and what is a valuable resource when we apply creativity and innovation. 

In applying Peter Drucker´s definition of innovation, “change that creates a new dimension of performance,” to La Casa Verde´s model,  we must first define what we aim to accomplish through our performance. In this case, our main objective is to substantially reduce or eliminate single-use plastic and plastic waste.  We do this through creating circular economies and systems that reduce our dependence on plastic, transform plastic waste into useful items, and educate our community members on more sustainable practices.

In this regard, our approach is innovative in several ways.  First, we have an innovative system of eco-points and an eco-market.  Through these systems we are able to motivate our community members to keep our streets and community free of plastic waste.  Our eco-market also provides us with a community-based platform in which everyone can contribute in their own way to the fight against plastic pollution.   

We also have an innovative outlook on what is waste and what can be used as a valuable resource.  By emphasizing creativity and recognizing the true potential for any given material, we have created a system for infinite possibilities in terms of transforming plastic waste into valuable items.  This system also lends itself to further innovation through the incorporation of new technologies and new methodologies as we move away from a dependence on plastic and towards a more sustainable future.

In short, La Casa Verde not only offers innovative solutions to today´s plastic problem, but also a systematic foundation from which further innovation is born. 

To describe our theory of change and illustrate how La Casa Verde is having a direct impact on the communities in which we work, we will use the example of a plastic bag.  To most people, a plastic bag, of which hundreds of billions are produced annually, is used one time and then thrown away. That bag becomes waste and most likely ends up in a landfill, in the ocean, being burned, or littering our communities.  In Las Peñitas, however, this is not the case.  

In Las Peñitas we have a community-wide system that places value on plastic bags.  We take those bags and we transform them into colorful and useful string, which is then used to create a variety of products such as bracelets, necklaces, earrings, dreamcatchers, and more. These products are then sold for money or exchanged for points in our eco-market.  

But we don´t just transform the bags into attractive products ourselves, we also teach our kids and community members how they can do the same.  And we don´t just follow this model with plastic bags, we do the same with every potentially wasteful material that we encounter. And by focusing on creativity and recognizing the potential value in any given resource, the possibilities are endless and the outcome is always the same: a cleaner world with less plastic pollution for all.

Waste = potential value = creative possibilities = economic opportunity = less waste = cleaner world.  And that, we feel, is change worth spreading. 

In five years time Casa Verde´s model for community recycling and education has the potential to have a direct impact on millions of lives throughout Latin America.  And that will only be the beginning. Just as there is unfortunately no limit to the amount of plastic waste currently being produced, there is also no limit to the growth potential of La Casa Verde.  

The past year has been focused primarily on our organizational structure, the development of our team, and the solidification of our programs. Now that we have a more clearly defined model that has been successful in Las Peñitas, we are ready for expansion into new communities.

Here are some of our numbers from 2019:

Audience reached through our environmental campaigns:  1,300+

Families directly involved in our eco-market and recycling program:  228

Individuals who were paid for products or services as a result of our programs:  27

Partnerships with other businesses and organizations:  39

International volunteers from around the world:  33

Communities reached outside of Las Peñitas: 18

Number of schools involved in our educational programs: 13

In the coming year we expect to see an increase in these numbers, particularly in audience reached through our environmental campaigns, partnerships formed, communities reached, and schools involved.  We also wish to begin tracking more accurately the overall number of people directly impacted by our programs.

Creating instruments to analyze the impact of our programs is crucial to the overall growth of our organization.  Here are some of the metrics we used to gauge our success in 2019: 

Environmental Impact:    Measured through the variety and quantity of materials collected through our recycling program.  Please note that some data is not available (n/a) as we continue to implement the necessary systems to track this data in the future.

Eco-bricks:  1,500 lbs

Plastic Bottles (PET): 8,652 lbs

Gallon Bottles: 207 lbs

Plastic Bottlecaps: n/a

Plastic Bags: n/a

Plastic straws: n/a

Plastic Utensils: n/a

Aluminum Cans: 116 lbs

Alumnium can tabs:  10 lbs

Metal Bottlecaps: n/a

Other metal: 423 lbs 

Cardboard / Paper: 297 lbs

Chip bags: n/a

Batteries: n/a

Tire innertubes:  56 lbs

Organic compost material: n/a 

We also transformed 1560 plastic bottles into 60 community trash bins, significantly reducing the amount of waste in the streets and on the beach. 

Social Impact:  Primarily measured by the diversity of our programs and the number of people involved in each.  We estimate that over 3,000 people were involved in the following programs:

Recycling and Community Cleanups

Eco-market

Educational Workshops / School Visits

Environmental Campaigns

Alliances and Partnerships

International Volunteers

Community Events

Economic Impact:  Through our model for a circular economy, utilizing resources with zero or low cost, we continue to grow our catalog of unique, upcycled products.  Last year, 27 individuals benefited economically through the sale of such products.

One core principle of La Casa Verde is to embrace a growth mindset and recognize the ever-present opportunity for improvement.  Our vision is to develop into a sustainable model for environmental education that can be replicated in individual communities throughout the developing world.  As we work towards this goal, we will need to grow in the following areas:

Growth of existing programs:  One program that we are currently expanding is our eco-market.  We continue to accept a greater variety of materials, award more eco-points, and offer our community members more opportunities to exchange their points for things they want.  The greater their desire is to spend their points, the higher their motivation is to maintain a clean community.    

Growth of new programs and projects:  In the coming years we have our sights set on some exciting new initiatives.  Here are a few examples: Building a house entirely from recycled plastic, constructing a “Precious Plastics” machine that will convert plastic into new items, building a solar dehydrator for fruits and vegetables to reduce our dependence on packaged foods, and transforming plastic bottles into stand-up paddleboards for our eco-tourism program.  

Expansion into new communities:  While we continue to improve and grow our programs in Las Peñitas, we are also excited for expansion opportunities into other communities.  As we expand and create new recycling centers, we will follow the model for success of our current center, but also remain flexible and adaptive to the needs of each individual community.

Our main barrier in the next five years, and one of the primary reasons we are applying for this challenge, is that we need more financing.  We accomplish a lot with the little financing that we do receive, but with more funding we will be capable of doing so much more. Our first barrier in this regard is to achieve financial stability in our operational costs.  After that, we will secure funding for new projects and programs, and finally seek the necessary funding for the expansion of La Casa Verde into new communities.  

Another barrier we face is with regard to transportation and logistics.  The vision for our eco-market is to use it as a platform to redistribute used items, such as electronic devices and sports equipment from developed countries, where these items are discarded as “waste”, to our developing communities where these items can be used as incentive to participate in our programs.  Collecting these items is easy, it is the shipping and navigation of customs that presents a greater obstacle.  

Perhaps the biggest barrier that we face, not only as an organization, but also as a society, is the overwhelming culture of plastic production and consumption.  From a consumer level, to small businesses, to larger corporations, to governmental policies and laws, we face an uphill battle in the fight against plastic pollution.  It can be daunting at times, but where obstacles exist, opportunities arise, and we remain committed to innovative solutions with a lasting impact. 

Financial Barrier:  We have a number of strategies and various income sources to help us overcome this barrier.  This includes private donations, product sales, educational workshops, service learning trips, and hospitality.  These sources of revenue do not cover all of our expenses, but every little bit helps.

Transportation and Logistics Barrier:  One way that we are able to currently overcome this barrier is through our volunteer program and network of supportive local businesses, who help us ensure that visitors to Las Peñitas frequently bring an extra suitcase filled with donation items for our eco-market.  As we increase the number of people involved in our volunteer program, we will have a more consistent stream of donated goods for our eco-market. We also have several schools and sports teams throughout the United States who are willing to collect donated goods for us, and we would like to figure out how we can transport such items using pre-existing shipping routes and containers.  This will be one of our puzzles to solve in 2020.

Cultural Barrier:  Changing cultural behaviors is no easy task.  In order to address this obstacle we separate our general population into specific target groups, and implement distinct strategies for each group.  For the general public, we have our incentive-based recycling program and educational workshops. For schools and organizations, we have our educational programs.  And we focus our environmental campaigns on local businesses to show how they too can have an impact.  

Here is an overview of our current programs:

Recycling Center:  A central location serving Las Peñitas and surrounding communities through which to collect and process a wide range of materials that would otherwise end of polluting our environment. 

Community Center:  A community space in which to host events and activities, such as game days, beach cleanups, movie nights, artisan fairs, eco-competitions, and more.

Eco-market:  A platform through which to unite people from around the world in providing an incentive for getting local community members involved in the global fight against plastic pollution.

Gift Shop:  A platform from which to promote local entrepreneurs who create a variety of products from recycled and/or natural materials, as well as provide unique local souvenirs for visitors.

Education Program:  A platform from which to spread knowledge, get people thinking critically, and teach specific skills that will allow others to transform plastic waste into economic opportunity.

Environmental Campaigns:  A program in which we primarily target local businesses and the general public to reduce our plastic consumption through the implementation of alternative solutions.

Community Improvement Program:  A program in which we use materials collected through our recycling program to implement creative, useful, and artistic improvements to our public spaces.

Compost, Garden and Nursery:  A circular system for transforming organic waste into fertile soil, healthy plants, and healthy food.

Volunteer Program:  Connecting people from all over the world to share ideas and experiences united by a common purpose.

La Casa Verde relies on the networking, collaboration, and involvment of many people.  Here is the current breakdown of those who are paid:

Full time staff:  4

Part time staff: 3

Occasionally contracted workers:  4

Primary producers of eco-merchandise:  3

Additional producers of eco-merchandise:  13

Nothing we do at La Casa Verde would be possible without our amazing team of dedicated individuals.  Here is a little bit about us:

Jordan Webb:  Founder and Director.  Ten years of experience in education as a teacher, coach, and administrator in different schools around the world.  Visionary thinker, positive communicator, with a tireless work ethic.

Alisson Figueroa:  Business Consultant and Social Media Manager.  Nine years of experience working with non-profit organizations and 7 years of experience owning her own business also dedicated to environmental sustainability.  Excellent communication and organizational skills.

Daniel Martinez:  General Manager and Recycling Coordinator.  5 years of management experience prior to joining La Casa Verde.  Extremely organized, creative, and has a deep passion for teaching others.

Pablo Ochoa:  Volunteer Coordinator and Eco-builder.  With a background in environmental construction, extremely creative and capable.  Also has a passion for connecting people and communities.

Cindi Caballero:  Eco-market and Gift Shop Manager:  A member of La Casa Verde from the very beginning as one of the first local volunteers.  Extremely committed to having a positive impact on the environment and is also studying to be an English teacher.

Francisco Martinez:  Maintenance, Carpentry, and Construction.  Also with La Casa Verde since the beginning, has developed into a very skilled and creative craftsman with a passion for innovation.

Ruth Perez:  Head Chef and Creative Specialist.  Ruth keeps the team fed with healthy food to fuel our productivity.  Also a very creative artisan, constantly inventing new uses for our recycled materials.

Partnerships and collaborations are a crucial element to our success as an organization.  Our goal is to impact as many people as we possibly can, and for this we strongly value the relationships we form with various schools, organizations, businesses, and entrepreneurs.  Here is a brief description of how we work with each demographic:

Schools:  We offer a variety of workshops and activities specifically catered to different age groups as well as teachers. 

Organizations:  We currently have two organizations in other communities that have adopted our model for an eco-market exchange system.  We also have relationships with several other organizations to offer educational workshops on how they can involve their own communities in addressing the issue of plastic pollution.

Businesses:  We have strong relationships with dozens of businesses who support us in a variety of ways, from offering a good or service to include in our eco-market, to taking part in our environmental campaigns to eliminate the use of single use plastic.

Entrepreneurs:  We partner with a number of eco-minded entrepreneurs (for example one company that produces bamboo straws) to help them sell their products and unite forces in changing the current culture surrounding plastic consumption.

La Casa Verde is a comprehensive platform based in education, community engagement, and environmental responsibility.  We use this platform to unify and grow our global community of eco-minded participants and supporters. Our primary beneficiaries are our local community members and local businesses, and as we form new partnerships and expand into other communities, the number of our beneficiaries increases. 

The key component to our model is our incentive-based eco-market.  We use our eco-market not only as a means of incentivizing local community members but also as a platform to involve local businesses, businesses and individuals from other communities, international volunteers, and donors from around the world.  

Another component to our model is our recycling center, through which we become facilitators for larger recycling companies who also maintain a high social commitment.  Our recycling center also provides us with an abundance of material from which we create economic, recreational, and educational opportunities.  

Through our education programs we are able to connect with schools, teachers, and students of all ages to emphasize the importance of environmental responsibility.  We also use these programs to teach critical thinking and creativity, emphasizing the ability to recognize a potential value in any given resource and transform it into economic or other opportunity.  

All of La Casa Verde´s systems, programs, and activities are interconnected, each supporting the other, to create a comprehensive and circular model with limitless possibilities for addressing plastic pollution in Latin America and the developing world. 

The financial stability of La Casa Verde depends on a diverse variety of income sources and extensive network of committed individuals.  Here is an overview of our projected income sources for 2020 and the coming years:

Grants:  We will actively continue to seek out new grant opportunities related to our areas of focus.

Private Donors:  We continually aim to grow our donor base, all of whom have the option of contributing monthly (preferred) or making a single donation. 

Sponsors:  Businesses or individuals have the option of sponsoring a specific project or program, such as sponsoring a monthly supply of rice and beans for our eco-market.

Products:  The earnings from our upcycled and biodegradable products are divided between the manufacturer of each product and La Casa Verde.

Educational Workshops:  We offer a variety of educational workshops to interested schools, companies, organizations, other groups, and individuals at an adjustable price that is accessible to all.  

Service Learning Trips:  Our service learning trips are catered to individual groups interested in a fulfilling and educational experience with a strong social impact.  We offer these experiences to both national and international groups.  

Hospitality:  In our new project space we have a small hostel in which we host our volunteers and offer accommodation to other tourists travelling through Las Peñitas.  

Eco-Tourism:  In our eco-tourism program we focus on highlighting the natural beauty that Las Peñitas has to offer, while also bringing awareness to local and global environmental concerns.

The reason that La Casa Verde is applying for the Rethink Plastics Challenge is that we strongly believe in the work that we are doing and in the model that we have created.  Our solution is entirely scaleable and has unlimited growth potential as we continue to develop our programs and expand into new communities. We are not satisfied with only having an impact in our current town of Las Peñitas; we want to create positive change throughout all of Latin America and the developing world.

Being selected as a finalist for this challenge will not only give us an opportunity to receive more funding, but also a chance to present our idea in front of a larger audience of like-minded individuals who are also committed to solving the global plastic epidemic.  The ultimate success of our model is dependent upon the involvement and participation of a large network of individuals, businesses, organizations, and other entities committed to having a positive impact on the environment. Our hope is that through this challenge we are able to form new partnerships and identify new opportunities for collaboration.

In the next section we outline the types of partnerships from which we would benefit to help us overcome our current barriers and advance our work.

Below are a few types of partnerships from which we could benefit:

Marketing and Digital Media:  As we seek to expand our network of supporters, we could benefit from assistance with our marketing efforts.  Some of our specific needs include an updated website, promotional videos, and a stronger social media presence.

Financial Support:  Our primary need right now is financial support to help cover our basic operational costs.  We are interested in forming partnerships with individuals and organizations who believe in what we do and are willing to help us attain financial stability.

Food Security: The greatest motivating factor for people to participate in our recycling program is food.  We are looking to partner with organizations such as the World Food Programme to provide La Casa Verde with basic provisions, such as beans and rice, that can be exchanged for eco-points in our eco-market. 

Shipping and Transportation:  Another incentive to participate in our recycling program are the material donations we receive, such as school supplies, electronic devices, and sports equipment.  We are interested in partnerships with companies such as Maersk who might be able to help us deliver donations from the USA and other countries to our communities in Latin America.

Plastic Transformation:  The more options we have for transforming plastic waste into something valuable, the more convincing our programs become.  We would like to develop our own machine to transform plastic into products or partner with organizations such as Precious Plastic who already do this.