For over a year now the company has employed a representative in the Central American country of Costa Rica, Alvaro Chinchilla Madrigal.
Costa Rica lies just north of Panama and South of Nicaragua. It borders the Pacific on the west and the Caribbean on the East so has many miles of sandy beaches. It has a diverse variety of flora and fauna that attract eco-tourists from around the world. There are tropical rainforests and active volcano's. The wild life ranges from tiny humming birds, 8 species of Parrot, the resplendent Quetzal and over 300 other species of birds, to Sloths, Howler Monkeys and Jaguars. Costa Rica is the most important nesting site for the endangered Green Turtle as well as the giant Leatherback Turtle. Trees now cover 51% of the country and over 25% of the land area is designated National Park. Costa Rica is therefore an International Leader on some Green issues. Its 4 million inhabitants are enjoying a period of economic progress in part due to developing a high yielding strain of coffee plant but also due to increasing numbers of eco-tourists. Tourism accounts for 8% of the country's sales and 13% of employment. It generates almost $2 billion dollars in revenues.
However the capital (1.6 million in the metropolitan area) itself has hit the headlines recently for having insufficient waste collection and disposal facilities. Urgent action is required.
Recresco is keen to be involved in establishing a sustainable solution to the waste problem by offering a collection service alongside an efficient recycling system. We are pleased to say that the Costa Ricans (who call themselves Tico's) have shown a great deal of interest in solving the waste problem in an environmentally sound manner. Recresco LTDA (Costa Rica) has secured its first contract to supply household waste collection and recycling services to a private community, Cerro Real in the capital. A 3500 sq. ft. ‘bodega' (depot.) has been leased in San Jose. Two vehicles have been purchased here in the UK and both are being painted up in Recresco livery, wheeled bins and recycling containers are also on order. The bins will be packed into a container by Recresco staff at our Ellesmere Port depot. The Scania Recycling lorry and Daf refuse compactor will be shipped as Ro-Ro freight. The vehicle will be liveried in the same style as the UK vehicles accept that they will be left hand drive and be sign written in Spanish. The bins and vehicles will be ready to leave for Costa Rica in the first week of May for arrival 3 weeks later.
In this way we are using our expertise and experience to assist the Tico's in their stated objective of being the first country to reach Carbon Neutral status by 2021