A group of 10 students from Indiana University traveled to Costa Rica to get involved in two cleanup days at Playa Tamarindo and Playa Grande, in Guanacaste, as part of an environmental effort developed by Costa Rica Makes Me Happy Foundation and The Clean Wave Foundation.
Both organizations promote environmental initiatives favoring the Guanacaste province by removing pollutants from coastal areas.
Royce Mitchell, President of Costa Rica Makes Me Happy Foundation, indicated that CDCR Global transferred the plastic waste to the Pedregal plant in Belen de Heredia. Then, it was converted into “Resin8,” a material that improves the performance of structural concrete products used in the construction sector.
The thermal properties of Resin8 make it an effective building insulation product, which contributes to the reduction of energy use in those structures, thereby improving climate resilience and supporting “net zero” carbon dioxide emission targets over time through cumulative energy savings.
“Through this partnership, The Clean Wave and Costa Rica Makes Me Happy can process all the plastics collected during the cleanup and transform them into a valuable resource. This program is part of a larger initiative with the Municipality of Santa Cruz to create a sustainable future in the canton,” said Mitchell.
The first waste collection activity occurred on March 14 at Playa Tamarindo, while the second was scheduled for March 16 at Playa Grande.
“All this work is part of Costa Rica Makes Me Happy volunteer programs. We have partnered with them to promote sustainable tourism and responsible waste management practices in Costa Rica,” said Andres Bermúdez, President of The Clean Wave.
With the cleanup work at the two beaches, the Indiana students learned firsthand about waste management in Guanacaste and the impact of plastic pollution on the environment. “This activity was designed to be highly educational. Participants were able to interact with the local community
