Recycling Tires for the Environment (WFWP Paraguay)
Written by: Roswitha Dueck de Giuliano
Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) Paraguay, Youth and Students for Peace (YSP) Paraguay and the Guardianes de la Patria Verde (Guardians of the Green Homeland), author of the Cubierta Roga Project, came together to make the Cubierta Roga (Tire House in Guaraní language) Project in Paraguay a reality. We are deeply grateful for Giving for Good International (GFGI), for sponsoring this project.
The over manufacturing of tires in recent years and the difficulties in managing tires once they are thrown out is considered a serious environmental problem throughout the world. According to data from the National Malaria Eradication Service in Paraguay, there would be more tires in the waste than inhabitants.
A high percentage of end-of-life tires end up in landfills, streams, rivers, public roads and vacant yards. These tires are resistant to ozone, light, bacteria, are highly flammable and take up excessive space, taking centuries to degrade naturally.
As a consequence of poor tire-waste management, contamination of water, soil and air occurs. They are also a habitat for rodents and insect vectors of diseases, such as Dengue, due to the possible stagnant water from the rain.
There are methods to achieve coherent recycling of these products, but there is a lack of policies that favor the collection, as well as the lack of knowledge of the citizens for correct management. In Paraguay, there is already adequate technology to recover and cleanly eliminate dangerous components from vehicles and machinery tires.
Given the environmental and public health problems generated by used tires, Cubierta Roga intends to create collection centers for the deposit of old tires, on the Costanera (Riverside) of Asunción, where they will be collected, managed appropriately and transformed into raw materials with the appropriate and non-polluting technology, thus promoting the circular economy.
On October 17, the Cubierta Roga Project kickstarted their activities by painting used tires with a group of volunteers. The vision for these painted tires is to become a recreational park that will be created with recycled tires beside the Tire House.
The goal is to manage and recycle used tires in Asunción, to decrease the environmental impact caused by incorrect deposition. We also hope to raise public awareness about the benefits of recycling old tires through artistic and educational workshops.
The three civil and environmental organizations are motivated to raise awareness about environmental problems, improve waste management and the adverse effects that impact people's quality of life. We wish to inspire others to be agents of change and show that with small actions and with everyone's participation, a better world can be created.
