These last few months, a new and unusual addition has floated along one of Panama’s rivers. An odd, boat-like machine. One that trails along the water and eats up all the trash it comes across like some eternally hungry beast! Well, the beast’s name is Wanda, and its goal is to completely rid the river it sails of trash! However, who made it, what sparked its creation, and what are the hopes of Wanda’s creators? What does Wanda actually mean for the future of Panama, and can it really help fix the problem of trash that has plagued our rivers for so long? What is the story behind Wanda, Latin America’s first sustainable wheel that catches floating garbage?
The reason for Wanda’s creation
Wanda’s work focuses on the Juan Díaz River, a tributary that passes both the capital of Panama and some of Panama’s protected mangroves and finally flows into the Bay of Panama. This makes the river crucial for Panama’s ecosystem. However, the amount of trash that finds its way into the river, partly due to its location near the capital, means that the river is full of trash. The situation is so bad that it’s a serious ecological concern. To the point, it caught the attention of one of the local environmental groups, especially since the river is home to a great many creatures and plants. In spite of being one of the most polluted in the entirety of Panama! Since its natural beauty is one of the reasons to visit Panama, this leads to some very reasonable concerns. Not to mention what such pollution does to all the local species.
The people behind Wanda
The spark of inspiration behind Panama’s first sustainable wheel that catches floating garbage originates from Baltimore, US. There, an engineer called John Keller created the “Mr. Trash Wheel.” A cutesy wheel that serves as the basis for Wanda’s design. However, the main credit for Wanda’s creation, of course, goes to Marea Verde. They’re a non-government organization here in Panama that prides itself on its efforts to protect the environment. Marea Verde has already had considerable success using Bob—a floating barrier located on another river near the capital that has had some truly impressive results so far. While there is no real documentation, it is reasonably estimated that Bob has extracted around one hundred tons of trash a year since its creation. This alone has led to considerable progress when it comes to cleansing Panama’s rivers of trash. But Wanda’s looking to break the record.
The cleanly-powered wheel
The most wonderful thing about Wanda, Latin America’s first sustainable wheel that catches floating garbage, is the fact that it’s entirely powered by renewable energy. Wanda relies on two different types of renewable energy: solar power and hydro energy. The way the solar portion of its power collection works is simple. Wanda has a somewhat spherical shape which maximizes the surface of its “roof.” As a result, a decent number of solar panels can be fit onto it, collecting solar energy throughout the day. At the same time, Wanda’s wheel components allow it to make full use of the river water it is cleaning up. And provides more than enough power for Wanda to start up and even work a decent amount of time with minimal support from its solar energy panels. One thing’s for sure, Wanda can teach people a lot about Panama’s spirit and ingenuity!
The destination of the garbage
So, the next question is: what exactly happens with all the garbage fished out of the river? As the experts from getmovedtoday.com can attest, storing anything in increasing quantities for a long time is not really viable. So, it is a good thing that Wanda’s team works like a well-oiled machine, separating the trash they extract from the river into two categories. First, we have trash that can’t be salvaged or repurposed. This type of trash is collected and then properly disposed of away from vulnerable ecosystems it’s been endangering. The second category, however, is made up of all the recyclable materials the team can find. These go straight into recycling plants so that they can have new life breathed into them and once more become useful items for the people of Panama! The team is very adamant about recycling everything they can, so waste is minimal.
The work so far
So far, Wanda, Panama’s first sustainable wheel that catches floating garbage, has had some truly amazing success. It is well and truly poised to break Bob’s record of extracting one hundred tons of trash from Panama’s waters a year. This naturally means that people will soon be able to enjoy Panama’s nature far more freely than before! However, in spite of their successes, Marea Verde’s Panama executive director, Sandy Watemberg, claims that Wanda is only the start. In fact, in her own words, “neither Wanda nor Bob are the long-term solution.” And she insists that the only real way for Panama’s situation to improve permanently is for “people to change their habits, to dispose of waste in the right way, to start recycling.” If awareness of the problems pollution is causing can spread further, we can expect even more progress to be made!
The future of Panama’s waters
As you can tell, the work of Wanda, Panama’s first sustainable wheel that catches floating garbage, is only starting. However, what’s already been achieved is tremendously impressive! The attention pollution has been getting, as well as all the efforts to fix the problem, is more than enough to give us hope that things will eventually be fixed. Trash has been an unwelcome sight in the rivers of Panama for too long. And any progress made towards changing the situation is more than gratifying.
However, as Watemberg herself pointed out, we should still all do our best to contribute! Or, at the very least, try to minimize our contribution to polluting the natural wonders of Panama’s landscape.