AquaChile and Verdesur organize beach cleanups in Panitao and Calbuco, 62 students collect 127.8 kg of waste

AquaChile and Verdesur organized two beach cleanup events in Panitao and Calbuco in Chile's Los Lagos Region, with 62 students participating and a total of 127.8 kg of waste collected. The events combined environmental outreach with hands-on work, as students learned to collect, sort and properly handle coastal waste.

One of the events was carried out in partnership with Nueva Panitao School and is part of the "Territorial Impact Program" (Programa de Impacto Territorial) promoted by AquaChile and implemented by Verdesur. That event involved 28 students, 2 teachers and 1 parent, and was held alongside coastal cleanup activities to help students understand the impact of waste on marine ecosystems. A total of 31 kg of trash and 18 kg of recyclable materials were collected on site, including ropes, PET bottles, metal, aluminum cans, plastic and expanded polystyrene foam (plumavit). The waste was transported to Verdesur's workshop, where it was sorted and put through processing and recycling processes.

The second beach cleanup was attended by 39 fifth-grade students from San Miguel School in Calbuco, accompanied by 6 parents and 1 teacher. The event recovered 66.6 kg of trash and 12.2 kg of recyclable materials, including ropes, glass and plastic. In addition to collecting waste, participants identified different types of waste and learned about the importance of preventing pollution and properly managing waste.

Romina Bissett, head of community affairs at AquaChile, said: "These activities allow students to put the environmental knowledge they have learned into practice and understand the importance of keeping natural spaces clean. For AquaChile, it is very valuable to support initiatives that engage the educational community and foster responsible habits from an early age."

Paola Ducci, founding partner and director of Verdesur, said: "The value of this activity lies in the fact that students not only took part in the beach cleanup, but also learned to identify different types of waste, distinguish between them, and reflect on where it comes from and the impact it has on the environment. We thank AquaChile for promoting this initiative and for working with the schools to promote experiences that reinforce learning and environmental commitment."

These actions are part of the environmental education work that AquaChile and Verdesur continue to carry out locally. The "Territorial Impact Program" was launched about four years ago in Lenca and Chaicas and later expanded to Nueva Panitao School. During this period, the two parties have carried out workshops, recycling actions and learning spaces to reinforce sustainable habits and encourage participation by the educational community.

Both events combined environmental outreach with hands-on waste collection and sorting, giving students tools to understand the impact of their own actions and to take part in protecting coastal ecosystems.