Mayan Communities declare War on Plastics
Since June the community of San Miguel Petapa in Guatemala has banned single use plastics. After 2 months of campaigning and information, any store or street vendor selling their plastic or styrofoam merchandise will pay a fine between $ 150 and $ 650 dollars, a pretty high value for a country with low per capita income.
The city follows the example of other cities such as San Pedro and San Juan de La Laguna, which banned the plastic bags to avoid contamination of Lake Amatitlán, one of the country’s natural beauties.
The alternative to not using paper is to wrap the products in banana leaves, as it used to be. There are other people who also use napkins to buy bread or make handmade paper bags to wrap daily bread.
As one environmental expert said, “It is not a matter of fashion, but of survival!”