The recent tormenta tropical Sarawhich hit Honduras with torrential rains, in addition to causing flooding on the Atlantic coast and in other regions, brought to light the permanent and invisible environmental crisis caused by large cities due to poor or non-existent management of plastic waste.
This year, Honduras will produce 178,744 metric tons of plastic waste and, unfortunately, of that accumulation, 112,020 tons (a mountain of more than 112 million kilograms) will be dispersed in any part of the territory due to poor management, according to projections of the initiative Earth Action Plastic Overshoot Daybased in Switzerland.
L18 million in losses left by Sara in drinking water aqueducts
An incalculable percentage of that poorly managed 62.67% has already surfaced in the rainwater while Storm Sara skirted the Atlantic coast. When this phenomenon flooded the coast, Hondurans saw how hundreds of tons of containers flowed through the rivers, streams and also streets that cross the large cities, especially Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. polyethylene terephthalate plastic (better known as PET) that collapsed sewers and drains, causing flooding.
Environmental defenders, interviewed by La Prensa, say that Sara is another natural phenomenon that highlights the lack of culture and civility of the majority of Hondurans and exhibits the negligence of the mayors, whose municipal corporations have never bothered to look for definitive solutions, but in “crying over spilled milk when they are up to their necks in water.”
“This is a problem that affects the entire country. Hondurans do not have civility, in the educational system they did not teach us to separate waste; Peasants in the highlands do not know how to treat plastic and municipalities do not have separation and collection systems. Even when there are floods, the municipal authorities remember that this problem exists, then they forget it,” says environmentalist Mario Motiño, founder of Tela Divers & Sea Life Conservation, an organization of divers that fights against ocean pollution.
Motiño highlights that Sara “demonstrated again that large cities are large generators of plastic, that they do not have separation systems, and that plastic finally reaches the sea and destroys marine species and threatens the health of human beings and despite Nobody does anything about that.”
Before Covid-19, about twenty municipalities, especially coastal and tourist ones, such as Roatán, Utila, Puerto Cortés, Omoa, Tela, Trujillo and also Santa Cruz de Yojoa, Gracias, Lempira, approved ordinances to prohibit the use and distribution of containers and plastic containers, however, in 2024, environmentalists lament, “these provisions are ignored.”
“Some municipalities approved ordinances, but few citizens respect them. Municipal authorities must be more energetic in their application. If we had an effective collection and separation system throughout the country, there would be less dengue fever, because when these containers are thrown away they become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and we would also have fewer cases of cancer. Scientists have found microplastics in ocean fish, like the ones we consume in Honduras,” says Motiño.
For years, environmental advocates have warned about the growing accumulation of plastic in the country’s rivers, streams and sewers and the destruction of coral reefs. However, the problem has been systematically ignored and now, when the country has nearly 10 million inhabitants, it is a crisis that requires urgent solutions.
Large cities, consulted environmentalists propose, should establish a public or private system that allows, through special deposits, to separately collect glass, plastic, paper and cardboard and other special waste that could be economically used through a recycling process. or transformation of materials.
Mass awareness campaigns
The environmentalist Roger Suárez, who is a painter and theater artist, believes that municipalities, in the first instance, should use “the incentive strategy so that people, after an education process, separate plastic” and, in the second instance , must use coercive means against individuals or communities that refuse to comply with the ordinances.
“Municipalities have two important departments, the Municipal Environmental Unit (UMA) and Citizen Participation to educate and promote compliance with ordinances. In my case, I am also an artist and painter, he used art to educate. Through theater and painting I educate all people and transmit the message to people who do not know how to read and write,” says Suárez.
Environmentalists agree that, now after Sara, local authorities and the central government, particularly Natural Resources and Environment and the Forest Conservation Institute, must run massive awareness campaigns and must propose projects for the development of special forest management infrastructure. waste.
Before Covid-19, Honduras generated at least 315,735 metric tons of plastic waste annually, according to the report Management and Leakage of Plastic Waste in Latin America and the Caribbean published by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in 2020. Meanwhile, Costa Rica, 176,028; El Salvador, 182,151; Guatemala, 508,807, and Nicaragua, 224,614.
During 2024, according to figures from Earth Action’s Plastic Overshoot Day, each Honduran will produce 17 kilograms, the lowest per capita figure in the region, where Belizeans, Costa Ricans and Panamanians generate more waste, but have the advantage of doing better. management.
Honduras is not the only one in the world affected by this crisis. On Monday, The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), with the participation of 170 countries, began in BusanSouth Korea, talks to reach a legally binding agreement on plastic pollution.
Considering Honduras’ experience with Storm Sara, what specific policy recommendations could be incorporated into a global treaty on plastic pollution to prevent similar environmental crises in other vulnerable nations?
## World Today News – Interview: The Plastic Aftermath of Storm Sara
**Host:** Welcome to World Today News. Today, we’re diving deep into the environmental fallout of Tropical Storm Sara in Honduras, specifically the issue of plastic waste exacerbated by the storm. We have two distinguished guests today, Mario Motiño, founder of Tela Divers & Sea Life Conservation, and Roger Suárez, an environmental artist and advocate. Welcome to the show, gentlemen.
**Section 1: The Visible and Invisible Crisis**
* **Host:** Mario, your organization has long been dedicated to tackling marine pollution in Honduras. How did Storm Sara highlight the pre-existing plastic crisis in the country?
* **Host:** Roger, Mario mentioned the lack of “civility” regarding waste disposal. How do you see this issue playing a role in the larger context of Honduras’ environmental challenges?
**Section 2: Municipal Responsibility and Citizen Action**
* **Host:** Before the storm, there were efforts to implement ordinances against single-use plastics in some Honduran municipalities. Roger, what happened to these initiatives? Has the storm refocused attention on their implementation?
* **Host:** Mario, you’ve criticized the inconsistent commitment to waste management. What concrete steps can municipalities take to address the issue of plastic disposal and collection?
**Section 3: Education, Enforcement, and Long-Term Solutions**
* **Host:** Both of you have mentioned the importance of education and awareness. How can municipalities and organizations effectively engage citizens in changing their consumption and disposal habits?
* **Host:** Roger, you advocate for a mixture of incentive and “coercive” measures. Can you elaborate on what these might look like and how they could be implemented effectively?
* **Host:** With the UN currently discussing a global treaty on plastic pollution, what role do you see Honduras playing in this global effort, given the lessons learned from Storm Sara?
**Section 4: Looking Beyond the Storm**
* **Host:** Mario, apart from the immediate impact on infrastructure, what long-term threats does plastic pollution pose to Honduras’ environment and economy?
* **Host:** Both of you have highlighted the need for systemic change. Beyond individual actions and municipal initiatives, what broader policy changes are required to tackle this issue at a national level?
* **Host:**
**Host:** Thank you, Mario and Roger, for your insights on this pressing issue. We hope this discussion encourages further action and engagement from all stakeholders in addressing the urgent challenge of plastic pollution in Honduras.
