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2.4 Topic j: Public education

In Latin America and the Caribbean there is a collective realization that public education is necessary in order to improve solid waste management systems; however, efforts are limited and infrequent. Solid waste management authorities probably put forth the greatest effort in this direction. These agencies carry out educational campaigns directed toward the public, producing posters, pamphlets, and other educational materials. They invite children to their facilities and also go to the schools, where they give talks on good solid waste management practices at home and in the streets. However, these campaigns are not done continuously, and their impact on the children is not very large. These campaigns are also limited by financial resources, and the messages rarely go through the mass media due to the high cost of placing ads.

In recent years a new trend can be observed in the region in the development of environmental awareness in children. The underlying concept here is that the most important target group in public education is children, and that schools need to be the avenue to teach them. Thus, environmental awareness, including proper handling of solid waste, is increasingly incorporated as part of the elementary school curriculum. The programs include development of textbooks, teacher training, and hands-on activities. The latter mainly concentrate on recycling, but also deal with environmental health education. These activities also aim to be financially self-sustaining; income from the sale of recycled products is used to improve the sanitation systems in the schools and, in some cases, to purchase teaching materials.

These programs have been implemented in Colombia (where the best experiences can be found), Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Peru, and are being initiated in Mexico and Paraguay. The ones in Colombia and Brazil have been in place long enough to show that they are successful. The other programs are still in the monitoring phase.

Counterpart institutions in these programs vary significantly from country to country, so that ministries of education, municipalities, ministries of health, and NGOs are involved in these efforts. In Colombia, the private sector is involved through the chambers of industry and commerce.

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