How to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle in Panama City

Not long ago, recycling bins and terms like “fair trade” were virtually unheard of in Panama. In much of Latin America, focus is on emerging from the developing into the developed world, and not on reducing one’s so-called footprint. However, Panama—being more modern and developed than many of its neighbors—has begun to make some truly commendable headway.

This is good news in a country that has preserved a larger percentage of it’s rainforest than virtually any other in the region (over 40%). Want to make sure your Panama visit doesn’t have too big a footprint? Here are some ways to help this beautiful country stay green, clean, and diverse:

1. Look for the bins:

Unfortunately, the municipal collection service puts all trash together. So simply separating your garbage won’t ensure it gets recycled. However, as Panamanians and foreigners living here become more eco-conscious, there are more and more ways to make a difference.

Now, in popular public places like the Cinta Costera, the Omar Park, and even outside Riba Smith supermarkets, recycling bins for plastic and bottles allow conscientious consumers to put trash where it belongs. The best place for all your recycling, however, is the CAM recycling center in the City of Knowledge, in the capital’s Clayton sector. Unlike most other places, this center also takes electronics and batteries, so it’s well worth holding on to these until you can get to Clayton and dispose of them properly.

2. Shop green:

There are many ways to shop green…make sure you always have a cloth bag on you, so if you buy clothes or souvenirs, you can “just say no” to plastic bags, which are unfortunately still all too popular. In El Rey supermarkets in Panama City, shoppers with their own bags now get to use a special speedy aisle for check-out. (It’s an eco-aisle, so you can’t buy cigarettes at the register!)

Panama city’s colonial Casco Viejo is one of the best places to take in Spanish and French architecture from the 1800s and shop for artisan-made handicrafts. Often, you can buy textiles and other works of indigenous art directly from the tribespeople who made them—it’s fair-trade in its simplest form. But here’s a little-known fact: Casco is also a great place to find recycled art.

Upscale souvenir store Papiro y Yo features beautiful gift items that your friends and family back home will love. The funky, eco-friendly Tantalo restaurant is decorated with recycled art. Want to bring back a real piece of Panama? The Canal Zone antique shop on Casco’s ungentrified outskirts has a most eclectic selection, including old Panama Canal memorabilia. Almost next door, Oro America sells jewelry and old curios.

Learn more about Casco Viejo initiatives at the neighborhood’s recycling page, Casco Recicla.

3. Party it up:

The best time to party with the Panamanians is during one of the many wonderful events and festivals that take place here every year. Good news for the goodie-two-shoes traveler: some of these support really good causes!

• The City of Knowledge holds fun little recycling fairs, usually in May. You can find out about them by visiting www.ciudaddelsaber.org

• New in town? Panama Green Building Council holds cocktail networking events, and all are welcome. Tweet them via @GBCPanama or visit their website to check out the events calendar: www.panamagbc.org.

• Every year, a big, fun, outdoor music event called Festival Verde takes place right here in Panama City. Verde means “green,” and this event’s organizers take the word seriously. Usually held in April, the festival features local and international bands art exhibits, food and much more, all in the name of raising awareness. For more information, visit their Facebook page: Festival Verde de Cultura Musical.

• Another worthwhile event: Festival Abierto, an educational, eco-cultural event that takes place every summer at the vast Omar Park, Panama City’s most central green lung. The two day event is held in March, usually, and admission is totally free…how’s that for fun? Attendees enjoy science exhibits, art displays, flea market booths, and, of course, live music. See Festival Abierto.

4. Eco-tour your way around Panama:

You can support Panama’s most sustainable communities while having the vacation of a lifetime. For example, Quebrada Ancha, in Panama’s Chagres National Park, welcomes visitors who wish to learn about the local culture and the rich flora and fauna.

Panama is also home to various indigenous groups that have been living traditional lifestyles since pre-Colombian times. The Guna, with their colorful garb and textiles, have captured the fancy of many a visitor. Their territories comprise a string of islands, in addition to parts of the mainland, and are among the most beautiful in Panama’s Caribbean sector. Sustainable lodges like Cabanas Narasgandup are known for sand floor huts, rationed electricity, and heaps of fresh seafood.

Pressed for time? Embera Village Tours offers day tours for those who wish to visit the Embera Puru village in the rainforest. In addition to socializing with tribe members and sharing a meal, you’ll see a virgin rain forest firsthand…keep your eyes open for osprey, toucans, wild parrots, sloths, monkeys, and more!

5. It’s the little things that count:

With minimal effort, you can travel just a bit greener and make a big difference. In Panama City, walk or take the metro when possible. Our hotel is in the heart of El Cangrejo, Panama — one of the city’s most walkable areas—and just steps from the Via Argentina metro station. And remember, avoiding bottled water—particularly in plastic bottles—is one of the absolute best ways you can help Panama’s green efforts. Reuse and refill any bottles you buy or carry your own sturdy canister. Panama has excellent potable water and you’ll find there are plenty of places to fill up!

Know before you go: armed with the above information, you can make your trip to Panama just a little greener. Oh and by the way, did you know that Panama’s biggest recycling project is the ongoing Panama Canal expansion?

The water capture system for the new set of locks (to be unveiled in 2016) will collect 60% of the fresh water that would otherwise be “lost” into the sea during a transit. This water will be recycled back into the locks for the next transit.