Promoting a Sustainable and Circular Economy through Wildlife Conservation in Costa Rica

The Wildlife Conservation Affiliation in Nosara, Guanacaste, Costa Rica is dedicated to promoting a circular economy in the community. By offering educational workshops and promoting sustainable products, they aim to raise awareness and address waste management issues while also creating new sources of income to support conservation efforts. In the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge, a community-based initiative has been successfully collecting and recycling over 6.5 tons of PET and HDPE plastic annually since 2008. This project not only benefits sea turtle conservation by keeping plastic out of the oceans, but also helps to create a more sustainable and circular economy by utilizing local plastic waste. A portion of the sales from this project will be donated to the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge to further support sea turtle conservation. Our plastic recycling program has provided a grant of US $4,500 to support this project.

Partnering with COPROT to Clean Up Costa Rica’s Beaches

Comunidad Protectora de Tortugas de Osa (COPROT) has been a long-standing partner of our Billion Baby Turtles program. We are now pleased to extend our support to their beach cleanups and recycling program. Their goal is to connect sea turtle conservation research with community engagement and sustainable practices. In addition to their turtle monitoring and awareness efforts, this grant will help fund the next step in their plastic project: providing a salary for a local employee, expanding their recycling center, and hosting an educational workshop to educate the community about the threats of plastic pollution to sea turtles and the ecosystem. Our plastic recycling program has provided a grant of US $4,500 to support this project.

Protecting Sea Turtles and the Environment with Osa Conservation

Osa Conservation, located on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica, is dedicated to monitoring and protecting two important nesting beaches spanning 6.5 km in the Southern Pacific region. These beaches face numerous threats, including high predation rates, nest poaching, plastic pollution, and sea level rise and erosion. In addition to their turtle monitoring and hatchery program, they also conduct regular beach cleanups and plastic recycling workshops with the help of local, national, and international volunteers. With our Plastic Recycling grant of US $4,500, they plan to create light guardians (light covers made from recycled plastic) to reduce light pollution near nesting beaches, turn plastic into “second-chance souvenirs” to provide additional income for local residents, and raise awareness about plastic pollution and implement solutions to reduce single-use plastics.

Collaborating with CREMA to Clean Up Coastal Communities

The Centro de Rescate de Especies Marinas Amenazadas (CREMA) began a sea turtle research and conservation project in the coastal communities of Nandayure, Guanacaste in Costa Rica in 2015. This area is home to four different species of sea turtles. While local communities have supported research and volunteer programs as a way to boost the economy and tourism, the lack of political will and urban development along the coasts has led to large amounts of both recyclable and non-recyclable waste on the beaches. This directly affects adult turtles and hatchlings in nests. In 2019, CREMA began collaborating with a community initiative led by Aníbal Cortés García, who is responsible for collecting, sorting, and sending solid waste from 14 coastal communities to recycling centers. Through this partnership, they have conducted over 100 beach cleanups and collected and transported nearly 7 tons of waste. Our plastic recycling program has provided a grant of US $4,500 to support this project.