Two students from the University of Aruba, Jessica Ebbink and Julia van Duijn, are leading a pilot project on waste management at Arikok National Park as part of their minor studies in Circular Economy.
The project officially began at Fontein Cave, where the students are conducting research on how to reduce waste, raise environmental awareness, and develop a circular waste management model tailored to Aruba’s natural areas.
This initiative is a collaboration between the University of Aruba and Saxion University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. The research focuses on waste separation and explores the possibilities for implementing circular waste practices on the island.
Focus on Waste Separation and Recycling
The ultimate goal of the project is to introduce a structured waste separation system within Arikok National Park. Over the past few weeks, the students conducted a detailed inventory of the waste found in the park.
According to student Jessica Ebbink, the findings show that plastic bottles and aluminum cans are by far the most common types of waste left behind by visitors. This indicates that most visitors bring these items with them into the park for personal use.
Student Julia van Duijn explained that by separating waste streams, the project aims to reduce the amount of waste ending up at Ser’i Teishi landfill while enabling recycling and giving certain materials a second life.
Cleaner Natural Areas Through Awareness
The core objective of this pilot project is to identify the most effective ways to encourage and educate the community and visitors to properly separate their waste. Based on the findings, the students hope that Arikok National Park’s natural areas will become cleaner and better preserved.
Following their research, the project identified three main waste streams to be separated within the park:
- Aluminum cans
- Plastic bottles
- Residual waste, which includes glass, organic waste, and paper
Jessica and Julia are encouraging all visitors to dispose of their waste in the correct bins when visiting Arikok National Park, helping protect Aruba’s natural heritage for future generations.
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