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"Divers" contribute to 64% of Cuba's recycling efforts


Dumpster diving for survival
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"Divers,” earn a living by “diving the dumpsters," looking for anything they might be able to sell.

The Cuban state pays these "divers" eight Cuban pesos - 40 cents - per kilogram of scrap aluminum cans.

Data from the Enterprise Union of Raw Materials Recovery (UERMP, as it's known in Spanish), in Cuba indicates that of the 430 tons of waste recycled annually on the island, 64% comes from recyling centers, while the state sector contributes 35%, and the remainder comes from the CDR (Committee for the Defense of the Revolution) campaigns.

Information released by the official media announced that work will soon begin on 12 new cooperatives to collect raw materials, after successful experiments in the Artemisa and Mayabeque provinces.

Reports of the Ministry of Economy and Planning say that more than 5,700 Cubans are linked to this type of activity.

A "diver" goes through a dumpster, looking for something to sell.
A "diver" goes through a dumpster, looking for something to sell.
So-called "divers" play an important role in the collection of recyclable waste by the population--people often seen looking through garbage dumps and landfills. And although the government has created a license for these "divers" to work for themselves in this activity, many are engaged in it without permission.

The Villa Clara newspaper, Vanguard last month called for "an end to the proliferation of 'divers' month." According to the publication, divers illegally take from the landfills, "bulging sacks of cardboard, paper, plastic, tin, iron and other raw materials for re-sale to government entities and to the self-employed."

The newspaper recalled that Resolution No. 42 of 2013 of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security established the work of the collector selling raw materias as on of the new forms of self-employment, but did not say anything about the origin of exploitable resources.

Independent journalist Yoel Espinosa Medrano wrote in the weekly, Primavera Digital, that one of the current Brazilian telenovelas seen on the island, "Avenida Brasil," takes place in a dump or landfill, where poor people try to find their daily bread, and many Cubans who do the same for a living see themselves reflected in it.

"Improvised landfill in a neighborhood of Havana," by photojournalist Omar Rodríguez
"Improvised landfill in a neighborhood of Havana," by photojournalist Omar Rodríguez
The communicator told martinoticias that the activity of the "divers" is facilitated by the accumulation of garbage in the streets of Cuban cities.

PENALTIES AND RISKS

Divers may be publicly reprimanded, fined, and imprisoned on charges of endangering health and spreading of epidemics.

The portal Café Fuerte reported in September that earlier this year the Municipal People's Court of Marianao passed judgment on a dozen divers, "who traded the most dissimilar items found within the solid waste landfill at 100 Street, in Havana." Some were sentenced to the maximum penalty of one year imprisonment.

Since 1987, the Cuban Penal Code calls for imprisonment of three months to one year, or a fine of 100 to 300 pesos for those who violate health standards that endanger the community.

Also, if they are from other provinces, divers can be deported. But aside from the penalties that may apply to them, these people risk their lives scavenging.

A union member interviewed by Espinosa Medrano reported that two years ago, a friend of his died of leptospirosis acquired in a Santa Clara dumpster.

Many tend to stay overnight in the dumps, waiting for trucks to download.

MORE THAN A PROFITABLE BUSINESS

However, despite the health risks and the specific punishment, the government has launched a campaign against the "divers." The reason could be that one of its international businesses is selling recycled materials abroad, mainly scrap materials. And it's more than profitable.

While the official statement speaks of recylcing centers, many Cubans collectors of recyclable materials, until recently received payments in kind, such as soda bottles, which they resold afterwards.

Currently, divers are paid 8 Cuban pesos ( 40 cents CUC, which is equivalent to the dollar) for each kilogram of aluminum cans, and other fees depending on the material collected. So, for a ton (1000 kilograms) of aluminum cans and scrap, the Cuban state disburses about $400. To calculate their gain, consider that in the world market, scrap aluminum cans traded in the last 30 days amount to around $ 1,600 a ton.

Many divers stay overnight in landfills waiting for the trucks that come to download trash.
Many divers stay overnight in landfills waiting for the trucks that come to download trash.
The official weekly Trabajadores reported in 2011 that the scrap industry reportedly made $50 million for the country through the Desmanteladora Equipment Company. The company dismantles equipment producing ferrous scrap, but also processes non-ferrous scrap as scrap aluminum, copper and bronze, which according to the weekly, are key in the export process.

In Cuba, collecting most of these materials is done by individuals. It does not seem to matter much if they do it licensed or unlicensed.
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    Rolando Cartaya

    Rolando Cartaya graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Havana in 1976. He has been a contributor to the cultural page of Juventud Rebelde, the newspaper of Cuban youth and UPI. He has also served as editor in the Spanish language versions of  "Newsweek," "Discover" and "Motor Trend." He has translated more than 20 books for Christian publisher, Thomas Nelson, Inc. Rolando has been with The Martís since 1989, in various capacities including editor, writer, reporter, and writer-director of the show, Sin Censores ni Censura, translated as, "No Censors or Censorship". On the island, he was vice president of the Cuban Committee for Human Rights.
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