One of the most recent initiatives of Tercer Paraíso Cuba was the promotion of a network for the collection, distribution and manufacture of face shields. They were made from recycled plastic bottles, are easy to make, environmentally friendly, useful and necessary.
According to coordinators Laura Salas Redondo, Claudia González Machado and Patricia Díaz Gómez, the aim was to help health professionals in the Caribbean nation. During the lockdown and social isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the move also contributed to creating greater awareness of the reuse of solid waste.
“We joined this campaign thanks to a call from Maurice Haedo, of the Copincha collective, a collaborative community that brings together many people linked to creative recycling and sustainability based on open source designs,” they explain.
Based on their experience, they note that a 1.5 liter bottle can be used to obtain two styles of facial protection: one similar to glasses and the other to a screen or mask. So far, about 300 have been made and distributed in hospitals, doctors’ offices or given to people who don’t work in the health sector, but are determined to use these means of prevention and protection.
They claim that it is a simple procedure, based on a design by Jorge Luis de La Fuente, who is also in charge of workshops to share the method and mold used. “Now is the time when we most need the small, individual contributions that we can make; all of them added together can make the difference,” he stresses.
Projects and businesses such as JYD solutions, Lo llevamos rizo, Akokán, Galería Transeúntes, Plaza Distrito Cultural, Vélo Cuba, CNA Atres, Estudio 50 and Clandestina have supported the visibility and dissemination of content related to the collection and distribution of plastic bottles for this purpose on social media.
Copincha, De la Fuente, Ciclo EcoPapel, NEWMEN Studio, Mi Rinconcito, Terra, B612 of the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Havana, and the UJC of 10 de Octubre Municipality have also participated in the creation of this protective equipment and the collection of the raw material. Mandao and the Artecorte project have supported the transportation of the collected materials, among others.
Tercer Paraíso Cuba is based on the philosophy of artist Michelangelo Pistoletto, and has assumed the 2030 Agenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals since its creation in 2015. Hence, it promotes initiatives related to sustainability, art, responsible social transformation and creativity.
“Recycling and reusing waste is part of our work, which is why we have collaborated for over five years with Cuban projects such as Ciclo EcoPapel, whose raison d’être is to reuse paper, as well as other materials that encourage recycling, including plastic (CNA ATRES), tyres (Finca La Melissa) and various inorganic waste,” the team explains.
Likewise, the team organizes the CreArte workshops, usually dedicated to these themes, as well as sectoral Forums and the Rebirth Forums. They also undertake actions aimed at cleaning up rivers, beaches and urban spaces; bicycle rides through areas of the capital; tree planting, urban recycling networks, workshops on healthy eating and sustainable agriculture, and responsible entrepreneurship fairs called “ZonaRayoActivas.”
“We try to map all the local initiatives to build a Cartography of sustainability in Cuba. We believe that this platform can contribute to the visibility and access to many projects, institutions and people, whose work is based on transformative, responsible and sustainable practice.”
Tercer Paraíso Cuba, will soon launch La Mina, a venture linked to plastic recycling, and which has the financial support of the European Union, the Habana CreActiva project, the International Committee for the Development of Peoples (CISP) and the Centre for Reference and Exchange on Community Initiatives (CIERIC).
“The idea is that it can contribute to a more sustainable community and a more prosperous future for those of us who live in the country. We hope to be able to give you more details soon about this initiative that is in still taking shape,” they conclude.
