CLEAN GARBAGE PROJECT
Written by Paul F. Stapel Binghamton, N.Y. from Mauricio Mayorga’s memoranda
The Clean Garbage Project (CGP) was developed by Mauricio Mayorga in 2008 to generate action to eliminate damage done by world garbage. Mayorga places special emphasis on teaching young children and students to understand that they can stop being part of the problem created by not recycling, thus heavily reducing if not eliminating the severe environmental damage to our planet reasonably quickly.
To date at least 12,000 people in 27 different locations throughout Colombia, Switzerland, Spain and Mexico have seen and participated in at least one of Mayorga’s “garbage’ art creations. All of them were in connection with EARTH DAY NETWORKS and more recently on WORLD WATER DAY celebrations.
Mayorga helps us to understand that the majority of garbage problems occur in third world countries where the people may not understand the damage being done by garbage and trash infecting our Earth. Mayorga invites principals of schools to organize the students to make a “game” of collecting recyclable garbage at home, clean it and then bring it to school to create art sculptures of their own design, in small or large formats.
After appropriate exhibition time the garbage can then be recycled for cash at a local recycling center which is donated to help families in the area.
The principal is asked to create a system to teach the students to learn about The importance of recycling and how to do it at home. The created system should be-on going for all future generations, a dedicated program of the school.
Mayorga’s hope is, with the United Nations guidance, to help the world adopt this or similar programs.