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Panama
| History, Problems, and Progress in E Waste Recycling In-Country | – Majority (89%) of the Panamanians do not separate their waste and none of the municipalities have separated collection routes for recyclable waste or recycling programs do not exist in Panama. Yet, several small scale initiatives have just started. Most of the waste gets incinerated in an uncontrolled manner and/or is dumped into rivers and other ecosystems. Almost half of the collected garbage ends up in the Cerro Patacón landfill of Panama City. Environmentalists claim that Cerro Patacón pollutes rivers, the air and the soil. Since Majority of the Panamanians do not separate their waste and so in 89% of them, they are dumping hazardous waste illegally and there are also burning on site.
-Plastic is the number one bane of their ecological existence at this time. -Collection and treatment of waste is relatively expensive. It is perhaps the reason why only carton waste is recycled nationally, while other recyclables are exported. |
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| E-Wasters Services and Special Practices In-Country | -They started the BasuraCero Program, it is a recycling initiative designed for 2015-2035. The objective of the program is to reduce waste disposal through the implementation of the so-called 3 Rs. The national government presented first versions of laws concerning used tires, collection of e-waste and recycling in mass events. In 2019, a law was presented concerning single use plastics, with the objective: “Regulating the Reduction and Progressive Replacement of Single-Use Plastics by 2021. An imminent, progressive step in the reduction of plastic waste is the banning of plastic bags in Panamanian supermarkets and other retail stores. -Panama generates tons of e-waste per day and so they made a draft version of the law that will regulate e-waste but it has not been finalized yet. |
| Local Partners and Handlers In-Country |   |