Project Pablo Pila
Batteries contain harmful substances including heavy metals such as zinc, lead, cadmium and mercury. Humans
and animals alike that are exposed to these metals have an increased risk of getting certain diseases and
disorders. That is why in many countries old batteries are collected separately.
In Bolivia, the separate collection of chemical waste is so far limited to a few large cities like La Paz, Cochabamba
and Santa Cruz. In other parts of the country and especially in smaller communities there is no separate
infrastructure for this type of waste. Old batteries are disposed with the municipal waste or worse still, buried in the
garden or just thrown on the streets or in the river.
International Day of Water
During a meeting with various organizations on March 24, International Day Water, there was a brainstorm about
concrete actions that could be taken to do something about the general environmental issues in Villa Montes.
During this conversation LAMPI launched the idea to do something about the problem
of the old batteries. The problem was immediately recognized by all participants and LAMPI was appointed to come
up with a plan.
Pablo Pila
With this a very busy but successful month started for the LAMPI Foundation. In the first week after the launch of the
idea an extensive project plan was developed. Ideas were formulated for the establishment of a separate
infrastructure for collecting old batteries and for how people were to receive information about the risk of old
batteries and the possibility to separate such waste. During a new meeting with the various parties a week later,
several agreements were made. There were 24 points in the village selected where collection baskets for batterys
would be placed. For these so-called ¨Puntos Pilas¨ an appealing logo was designed and settling of the locations
were distributed among the various parties. Pablo Pila rapidly became the icon of this campagne in Villa Montes. To
get the project to the attention of the
population promotional materials were designed in the form of posters, flyers and radio and TV spots. We also held
presentations held at a variety of schools and for the youngest Villamontiños we organised a painting competition.
To increase the willingness to recycle old batteries and to provede distribution of knowledge of this campagne we
added a competition, to Dutch example. Ech month through radio and television prizeswinners would be chosen
amongst those who would return their old batteries. Four weeks after the start of the project was the municipality of
Villa Montes ready with the construction of a separate space for storage of the collected batteries and it was time for
the collection of the batteries gathered from the various Puntos Pilas.. In the first month alone we collected a total of
nearly 60 kilo´s of old batteries. On May 1 we randomly selected 8 winners during a live TV show. The winners were
invited to come to the central square of the city on the 5th of may, international day of the environment. Here they
received a variety of prices with a lot of spectators and again live radio and television. Thanks to the support of
various organizations in Villa Montes all winners received a football, a T-shirt, a six-pack of soft drinks, an eco bag
and there was also a ´grand price´ for everyone. For the adult winners, there was a pots and pans, a wall clock and
a Fruit Juicer. For the young winners there were, Trains, a dollhouse, a toy tractor and electronic gameset. In our
quest for prizes for the winners of the painting competition we could count on the help of a local gas company. All
winning elementary school kids (2 per classroom, more than 70 in total!), Received two books, a set of rulers, a
pack of colored pencils, pens, an eraser and a sharpener. A nice package with which they can paint even more.
The results of the first two collection times, May 1 and June 2 are shown in the graph below. As seen the LAMPI
Foundation and Digema, the most active participants collected most. The schools Juan Pablo II and Julio Creveaux
are the next biggest collecters. In total, more than 200 kilos of batteries are collected. This is also 200 kilos less
harmful chemical waste in the environment of the Pilcomayo! Good job
and animals alike that are exposed to these metals have an increased risk of getting certain diseases and
disorders. That is why in many countries old batteries are collected separately.
In Bolivia, the separate collection of chemical waste is so far limited to a few large cities like La Paz, Cochabamba
and Santa Cruz. In other parts of the country and especially in smaller communities there is no separate
infrastructure for this type of waste. Old batteries are disposed with the municipal waste or worse still, buried in the
garden or just thrown on the streets or in the river.
International Day of Water
During a meeting with various organizations on March 24, International Day Water, there was a brainstorm about
concrete actions that could be taken to do something about the general environmental issues in Villa Montes.
During this conversation LAMPI launched the idea to do something about the problem
of the old batteries. The problem was immediately recognized by all participants and LAMPI was appointed to come
up with a plan.
Pablo Pila
With this a very busy but successful month started for the LAMPI Foundation. In the first week after the launch of the
idea an extensive project plan was developed. Ideas were formulated for the establishment of a separate
infrastructure for collecting old batteries and for how people were to receive information about the risk of old
batteries and the possibility to separate such waste. During a new meeting with the various parties a week later,
several agreements were made. There were 24 points in the village selected where collection baskets for batterys
would be placed. For these so-called ¨Puntos Pilas¨ an appealing logo was designed and settling of the locations
were distributed among the various parties. Pablo Pila rapidly became the icon of this campagne in Villa Montes. To
get the project to the attention of the
population promotional materials were designed in the form of posters, flyers and radio and TV spots. We also held
presentations held at a variety of schools and for the youngest Villamontiños we organised a painting competition.
To increase the willingness to recycle old batteries and to provede distribution of knowledge of this campagne we
added a competition, to Dutch example. Ech month through radio and television prizeswinners would be chosen
amongst those who would return their old batteries. Four weeks after the start of the project was the municipality of
Villa Montes ready with the construction of a separate space for storage of the collected batteries and it was time for
the collection of the batteries gathered from the various Puntos Pilas.. In the first month alone we collected a total of
nearly 60 kilo´s of old batteries. On May 1 we randomly selected 8 winners during a live TV show. The winners were
invited to come to the central square of the city on the 5th of may, international day of the environment. Here they
received a variety of prices with a lot of spectators and again live radio and television. Thanks to the support of
various organizations in Villa Montes all winners received a football, a T-shirt, a six-pack of soft drinks, an eco bag
and there was also a ´grand price´ for everyone. For the adult winners, there was a pots and pans, a wall clock and
a Fruit Juicer. For the young winners there were, Trains, a dollhouse, a toy tractor and electronic gameset. In our
quest for prizes for the winners of the painting competition we could count on the help of a local gas company. All
winning elementary school kids (2 per classroom, more than 70 in total!), Received two books, a set of rulers, a
pack of colored pencils, pens, an eraser and a sharpener. A nice package with which they can paint even more.
The results of the first two collection times, May 1 and June 2 are shown in the graph below. As seen the LAMPI
Foundation and Digema, the most active participants collected most. The schools Juan Pablo II and Julio Creveaux
are the next biggest collecters. In total, more than 200 kilos of batteries are collected. This is also 200 kilos less
harmful chemical waste in the environment of the Pilcomayo! Good job
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