No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeCosta RicaPHOTO: Turning waste into virtual currency

PHOTO: Turning waste into virtual currency

Costa Rica discards 564 tons of plastic per day of which only 14 are recycled, according to the Ministry of Health’s Office of Environmental Health in charge of waste management in the country.

Since April 2018, a program seeks to stimulate recycling by giving value to waste through the exchange of it for a virtual currency that allows users to make purchases at stores linked with the initiative.

(Ezequiel Becerra / AFP)

Trending Now

Why Costa Rica’s Colón Stays Strong and the Dollar Keeps Falling

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reclassified Costa Rica's de facto exchange-rate regime from a "managed float" to a "stabilized" arrangement, pointing to the...

Costa Rica Tourists Are Staying Less, But Spending More

Tourists arriving in Costa Rica by air are spending less time but more money while they are here, a shift that points to a...

How rescuers carried out 180-hour ‘miracle’ amid Venezuela’s ruins

In two decades as a rescuer, Kevin Meyers had never faced an operation as challenging as helping to free a man trapped under 160...

Costa Rica Rents Keep Rising Even as Inflation Stays Low

Costa Rica’s cost-of-living squeeze is showing up in one of the places residents feel most directly: rent. Housing rents rose 3.67% between May 2023...

Rodrigo Chaves to Coordinate Next Phase of Limón Marina Project

Former President Rodrigo Chaves will coordinate the government team assigned to push forward the planned Marina and Cruise Terminal of Limón, moving the nearly...

Costa Rica Targets Higher-Spending Travelers Over Mass Tourism

Costa Rica is leaning further into a tourism strategy built around higher-value visitors, longer stays and experience-based travel, signaling a continued move away from...

Costa Rica Faces Protests After Removing Corcovado Park Director

Environment Minister Mónica Navarro Del Valle has removed the director of the Osa Conservation Area six days after he reduced tourist capacity at Corcovado...

Brazil Crashes Out of World Cup After Shock Loss to Norway

Brazil’s World Cup is over after a stunning 2-1 loss to Norway in the round of 16, a result that sends one of Latin...

What an Overnight Layover in Panama Really Feels Like

Tocumen International Airport in Panama. My last stop before home. There was an eight-hour layover. A hotel hardly seemed worth it. I had a...
🌴 The Weekly Pura Vida

Costa Rica, Once a Week

The week's top stories, weather & insider tips — delivered every Sunday. One email, zero clutter.

🔒 Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Loading…

Latest News from Costa Rica

Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Car Rentals
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Travel