Several institutions seek to achieve a change in businesses in Barrio Amón so they can say goodbye to single-use plastics, which are the main pollutant of the oceans. The so-called Amón Initiative is to educate and sensitize the managers of neighboring businesses.
The merchants are receiving information on the harmful effects to the environment and health for the use of styrofoam and single-use plastics such as straws, coffee removers, plastic bags , food capsules, among others.
The National Institute of Insurance (INS), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Technological Institute of Costa Rica (TEC), the Ministry of Culture and Youth (MCJ) and the National Institute of Housing and Urban Development (INVU) participate in the project, with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
The first restaurant tour by representatives of the institutions involved was held on Monday. The managers of these businesses were motivated to substitute those products for others that are biodegradable and safe for human health.
According to UNDP, around 8 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans. Plastics are indestructible and non-biodegradable. They do not integrate into the environment in any way and affect marine and coastal ecosystems for thousands of years.
A study by the 2016 Ellen MacArthur Foundation showed that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans.
The details of the Amón Initiative can be found on the website www.zonalibredeplastico.org.