As part of the CARTITILLA education program run by Proyecto Tití, students learn how they can help cotton-top tamarins. There are challenges in managing waste in rural communities located near the cotton-tops’ home. Students learn how recycling helps cotton-top tamarins by reducing waste found in the forests and the rivers.
Each year, Proyecto Tití challenges students from three rural community schools to show their support for cotton-top tamarin conservation efforts by holding a plastic bag recycling contest. This time around more than 1,000 students spent eight weeks collecting plastic bags from their homes, neighbors, and in their community that have otherwise ended up in the trash.
Now these recycled plastic bags have a new purpose. They become the raw material for local community artisans to make eco-mochilas, tote bags that are crocheted from recycled plastic!
More than 27,600 plastic bags were collected during this year’s contest and prizes were given to the class that collected the most plastic bags. Congratulations to all the students who help keep Colombia’s environment clean!