The Ministry of Health and the National Directorate of CEN-CINAI announced on April 27 that their national contest, “Gran Reto CEN-CINAI: Sembrando Futuro,” led to the collection of 285 tons of recyclable waste across Costa Rica. The effort involved children and their families in separating materials such as plastic, glass, aluminum, and bottle caps at home before delivering them to local establishments.
This initiative comes as Costa Rica faces significant challenges in waste management. According to the Ministry, more than 4,000 tons of waste are generated daily in the country, but only a small portion is recycled. By engaging young children and their families in environmental education and community action, officials aim to address this issue from an early age.
The contest resulted in the recovery of approximately 2.7 million individual items—equivalent to filling 29 trucks with collected recyclables. One winning family was selected from each of nine regions nationwide for their participation. In addition, a CEN-CINAI center was recognized for collecting the most waste overall. In total, 107 children and their families benefited from prizes donated by sponsors.
Sponsors included Parque Diversiones and Museo de los Niños, which provided entry tickets for participating families. Fundación Monge contributed eleven television sets as additional prizes.
“This initiative demonstrates that change is possible when education is strengthened and communities work together,” said representatives from the Ministry of Health. They also highlighted that environmental awareness can be fostered effectively during early childhood while supporting vulnerable families.
