At a time when natural resources are depleted, the world population and consumerism increase; recovery, processing and marketing of materials and recyclables become essential. There is an organized and comprehensive program that meets these functions and rescues remaining with capacity for recycling generated in industry, services and community in Cuba. In our country this management activity is carried out by the Union of Enterprisses for Raw Material Recovery under the Ministry of the Iron and Steel Industry (SIME). This state agency has a high population density in urban areas (about 270 small establishments), which make up a national network.
Recycling is an ongoing process that supports care and preservation of the environment, so that each recycled resource can be used again and thus save materials in the manufacture of the like. The Cuban government is aware of this need, for that reason, a recovery system spanning over three thousand state enterprises and social institutions of the country was created. There are also buying houses, entities in charge of recovering reciclable waste mainly from the community. From the new modifications of the Cuban economic and social model, the private sector is integrated to this system.
In San Antonio de los Baños highlights the role of the private sector, several analyzes conducted in the course of this year place this group at the forefront in the municipality. Materials and recycled wastes are located in three main groups. Non-ferrous metals, enclosing including aluminum and copper. Another important element is steel scrap and a third group consisting of non-metallic elements, such as paper, plastic, cardboard and packaging, including glass.
Steel scrap and non-ferrous metals are mainly contributed by the industrial and state sector, a process that takes place in coordination with the Union of Communal Services. Moreover, the residential and community sectors provide non-metallic elements. In this order they stand the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) and the José Martí Pioneer Organization (OPJM) through movement of pioneers of the future who collect large clusters of secondary raw material. Everything recoverable is always welcome and thankful, we all know that the popular phrase "Recycling is start" is a blunt reality.