Big Takeaways from Small-Scale Waste Management in Bocas del Toro, Panamá
Bocas del Toro Province is an archipelago of islands just off the Caribbean coast of Panamá. With a rich, cultural history and home to two national parks, the province offers immense opportunity for eco tourism, scientific research, and endless recreation. In a tropical paradise such as this, growth and development is inevitable – yet Bocas shows resilience and adaptability in managing waste problems through small-scale, community-based waste management.
Possibilities for positive growth and sustainable development exist within these types of remote communities who, until very recently, did not have access to the abundant services found in other parts of the world. In taking a closer look at what has worked for Bocas in the realm of waste management (and all of its connected parts), seeds of possibility begin to sprout for conscious, dynamic startups to build regenerative businesses, rooted in community consideration.