Taking out the trash in Baja California Sur

Todos Santos Eco Adventure are founders of local Todos Santos, Baja California Sur organization Alianza Cero Basura (Zero Waste Alliance) and after a successful fundraising gala event earlier this month, they are starting to implement their 2-year plan for a zero waste future for Todos Santos and Pescadero. The plan has 5 key program areas – Community Engagement, School Engagement Waste Reduction, Waste Separation, Waste Reduction and Organic Waste – and they are making great strides already! They have already earned many successes, including through a school pilot program, ‘cleaning up’ local festivals, hosting workshops for waste reduction/elimination and inspiring waste separation efforts!

For their school engagement program, Alianza Cero Basura have just awarded the Palapa School Agent Zero designation for what they achieved in their education pilot program over the course of this school year. Over the course of the 2-year plan, the kids will be the Agent Zero ambassadors to help the other 16 schools in Todos Santos and Pescadero significantly reduce the waste they generate, separate the waste they generate and begin to compost.

For Community Engagement, the Alianza had several of major local festivals do the hard work of becoming single-use plastic free including the GastroVino Festival, the Day of the Dead Festival, the Film Festival, the Todos Santos Open Studio Tour and more. The Alianza also hosts workshops, beach cleanups and other events. That work will get ramped up further in the 2-year plan.

For Waste Separation, Alianza Cero Basura just certified two major businesses for their waste separation progress – Rancho Corazon and Hotel San Cristobal. They both got so inspired that they have started their own composting operations on their properties. Rancho Corazon actually now keeps almost 73% of its waste out of the landfill. It is a huge achievement and in the 2-year plan, the Alianza will build on lessons learned in these 2 pilot projects to roll these out to as many businesses as possible.

Kudos to TOSEA and Alianza Cero Basura!