Unfortunately, the issue of garbage collection in Havana has not changed for the better. At times it seemed a solution had been found, but as the days passed—just a few weeks—it became clear that dumps had flourished exponentially, shamelessly, making more evident what often happens: a lack of fixative.
Logically, it was said that the fundamental challenge was to transform these mobilizations into a sustainable and systematic strategy that effectively combines political will, resource allocation, institutional efficiency, and citizen co-responsibility. Was it achieved?
For some weekends, the capital seemed a hive of people, trucks, and various collection equipment, engaged in the long-delayed task of banishing the foul-smelling spectacle of solid waste scattered through the streets of this great city—beautiful despite everything, but increasingly at risk of quickly losing the freshness that always characterized it.
In those days, there was talk of meters and more cubic meters of waste collected, although something told me the numbers didn’t match reality, since paradoxically the dumps did not decrease, and arboviral diseases were spreading across the country, also favored by the increase of vectors in the environment.
The official call was for everyone to join the movement Towards a Cleaner and Healthier Havana, but little by little the momentum with which the task began has faded, and therefore the number and size of dumps have increased.
Despite this, hopeful experiences have emerged—such as in Centro Habana—where a fixed schedule for collection is linked to one or several electric motorcycles with trailers.
No pending assignments, as that would be too trite. Garbage collection is a dangerous subject in which the students—first and foremost, local governments, entities, and other related organizations—have failed. And I don’t think they should carry it as a burden, nor take it to a “world championship.”
