Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - The Amapas Neighborhood Association started a Recycling Program two years ago. It has been a high learning curve and one that we continue to master.

Monthly we collect around 200 kilos of PET (Polyethylene terephthalate), which is the most commonly recycled plastic (bottles) and about 10 kilos of aluminum. ANA nets about $300 pesos when we sell it. But it costs us $1,000 pesos for each pickup, so we operate the program at a loss.

The only way we can continue the program without charging for collection or continuing to run a deficit, is to increase the volume of recyclables we collect by getting more people in member buildings to use our program, or adding more buildings. Either - or both - would be great, but we could use your help. Not much money as you can see, but it was never ANA's idea for this recycling project to turn a profit. However, we did think it would be self-funded.

Then why did ANA take this on? You may recall two years ago garbage collection was hit and miss. Several collection points in Amapas were overflowing. We knew we couldn't address the whole issue of garbage collection, so we thought we'd tackle a small part that we could see - plastic water bottles. Regardless of publicity, our confidence in Mexico's water is lacking so we all purchase the bottles of water – large and small.

Initially, ANA's intent for the recycling program was to reduce the volume of garbage and to positively impact the environment by removing PET from the landfills. Only recently did we add aluminum to our recycling efforts. A long-term goal is to more effectively sort our garbage so those who wander by the garbage bags looking for items of value (PET, aluminum cans, and other treasures) learn that it is not profitable to do so in Amapas, because we recycle.

What can you do to help? If you, or your building, participate(s) in the recycling program, please remember these helpful hints.

• Empty the bottles and cans of any beverage or product.
• Separate into PET and aluminum.
• Separate the caps.
• Coordinate with other residents in your building where to deposit items each month.
• Designate individual (resident/administrator/mozo) who will put the recyclables out for pick-up and away from garbage collection. (It just helps reduce confusion.)

Would you like to extend your help to the entire Amapas neighborhood? We could use your help for a couple of hours each month. What would this involve?

• We'll give you the email addresses of our building contacts.
• Send monthly email notifications of recycling pick up date. i.e., first Friday of the month.
• Be our contact with the participating buildings.
• We'll take care of the rest. ANA will work with the man with the truck.

ANA does all of the heavy lifting. You just need to clean and separate the bottles, cans, and caps. Simple, isn't it?

For more info contact Viviana, ANA's administrator, at (322) 244-0185 or email at admin(at)amapaspv.com.

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The Amapas Neighborhood Association is the official association of residents and business owners in the Colonia Amapas of Puerto Vallarta. A volunteer and not-for-profit association with about 350 members, the ANA was founded in 2002 to improve the quality of life in Amapas. We work to keep our neighborhood safe, beautiful, desirable and welcoming to tourists and residents from all countries and walks of life. We are also the official "Junta Vecinal" or neighborhood council for Amapas, the legal representative of the neighborhood to the city government. Learn more at AmapasPV.com.