We spoke with Macarena Guajardo, Founder and Executive Director of Fundación Basura, an entity that was born with the tremendous challenge of eradicating garbage and on that road, to achieve a change of mentality that allows it. We leave you a summary of our conversation. Check it out in full on our youtube channel.
In 2015 Macarena Guajardo, an architect by profession, wanted to give life to a dream. After living in Germany and helping to rebuild Haiti after the earthquake, she saw the possibility of reusing construction materials and understood that the issue of garbage is a challenge that implies a profound change of mentality. So, together with two friends, she created Fundación Basura, a non-profit NGO from which she dreams of eradicating garbage completely.
This is part of what he told us:
"Garbage is invented by human beings. It does not exist in nature. Through simple decisions and multi-action work we can stop generating it and prevent further deterioration of our health and the planet".
"It is important to achieve a change of mentality, a cultural transformation with all actors in society and at different scales. From the smallest nucleus, such as the family, to large companies and the State. Garbage is a shared problem. Each actor has its own role and we push to help make the change happen".
"We can't pretend that garbage will end if we don't give the alternatives, to have the opportunity to choose. We have to make a work of small decisions every day, questioning what you really need to buy and from there, what to buy."
"Today we do everything thinking that the garbage will go far away, but in reality we are eating it, as happens with plastic."
"Normatively we are on the right track in Chile and the idea is that everything planned can be put into practice, but there are still many adjustments to be made. People have to be aware of what we consume, the state has to establish clear rules of the game and the private sector has to stop selling garbage".
If you want to know more about the Foundation, we leave you the following link
