The Galapagos National Park has developed a program to mitigate the plastic waste that damages the
marine ecosystem. The whole community is involved in the activity: the artisanal fishing sector, non-
governmental organizations and public institutions. Up to now, the trips for mitigation have been made
around Isabela Island, the coastal profile of Santiago, San Cristobal, Santa Cruz and Floreana. The
program, through voluntary contributions, has successfully picked up 22 tons of waste. The mitigations
are carried out underwater, and along the pristine Galapagos beaches.
In addition to the main program, a cleanup plan for remote sites is carried out. The main objective is to
identify the impacts resulting from the waste in remote areas, and to evaluate the possible arrival of
invasive species through garbage. Most of the waste has arrived from the coasts of Central and South
America, and even from Asia. In addition to the coordinated work made in the marine reserve, Galapagos
National Park socializes all these environmental problems to the community.
For us, it is very important to protect Galapagos’ natural wealth, and the wellbeing of Galapagenians. For
this reason, in order to strengthen our commitment to the environment, we avoid the use of short life cycle
products to minimize contamination; we promote the sustainable reuse of organic waste, and we have a
wastewater treatment system with environmental quality standards.
