Yesterday Maria Virginia welcomed us again into her home in Ituzaingo. I am not sure why it surprises me that life moves on so quickly for our Urban Recoverer friends. Virginia had mended her van and was about to sell all her current supplies of recyclables as she had to move things from her borrowed store (the next door neighbour’s house) to her home. She clarified something that has been bothering me. Why was it that some of the cooperatives that we had met did not call themselves cartoneros when they clearly collected recycling materials? Virginia told us that the term ‘cartoneros’ really only refers to the very informal gathering that happens in the streets and of course to the most popular cardboard that they collect. The term Urban Recoverers is the official name preferred by those who collect from door to door and have a slightly more stable, organized existence. We had a very useful discussion to take our project on to the next stages and like Carlos Perini she is very keen to move ahead if possible. She thinks she has a contact who could build the press, she has a proposed product (recycling bins) and much waste which does not currently have a market.
Maria VirginiaStorage ShedWaste Plastic