Empowering Nicaraguan Communities for a Sustainable Future

ReNica is a Nicaragua-based nonprofit foundation that partners with local communities to advance environmental sustainability.

We work with municipalities, neighborhoods, schools and community leaders to design and implement formal waste management and recycling systems tailored to local needs. At the same time, ReNica collaborates with K-12 schools by providing free lessons, activities, and educational materials that empower students and educators to care for and protect their natural environment—helping prepare the next generation of environmental stewards.

Too much waste. Too few systems.

Habits passed from one generation to the next

Across many communities in Nicaragua, large amounts of waste go uncollected or unmanaged. Trash is often dumped in ravines, valleys, open land, and along roadsides—harming public health, natural landscapes, and local ecosystems.
Plastics—especially single-use items—flow into rivers and the ocean, damaging marine life or breaking down into microplastics that contaminate water sources and pose risks to human health.

At the same time, many students are not exposed to environmental literacy or taught about the impacts of current waste practices. Without this knowledge, behaviors such as not using trash bins and discarding waste in nature become normalized and are passed from one generation to the next, reinforcing the cycle.

Plastics are real concern for human and animal health

There is strong opportunity in Nicaragua to capture value with used metal, glass and other materials AND reduce trash

Projects

K-12 Environmental Literacy

ReNica provides free lessons and activites to K-12 teachers that teach and empower the next generation to sustain and carefore their natural world. The lessons revolve around concepts like trash management, recycling, reusing and reducing. Many of the lessons tackle the problem of single-use plastics. At the end of a unit of study each student receives a free Bagito reusalble shopping bag and water bottle to begin using or share with their family.

Reusable Packaging and Products

Reuse is a wildy effective way to reduce plastics and trash in general. Through our partnership with Bagito.co you we support you and your family with a transition (or deeper dive) into reuse. Bagito reusable products can be found at: Nica Naturals, Ocean Market, Saturday Farmers Market.

San Juan del Sur Recycling System

We’re planning a formal recycling system for San Juan del Sur that includes home collection and community drop-off for metals, glass, and select plastics.

Garbage Collection Sundays

Starting in July, we will organize garbage collection teams to tackle various areas in and around San Juan Del Sur. Working in groups we can cover larger areas than one person alone. Stay tuned for more info.

DID YOU KNOW:

Nicaraguan coastal waters are severely impacted by plastics pollution as a result of the domestic plastic migration to bodies of water and the ocean currents around the country.

Plastics can travel hundreds of miles from inland areas to the lakes and oceans of Nicaragua.

Nicaragua's developing waste management system means that many communities have no formal waste disposal system other than informal sites, roadsides and ravines.

[Scripps Institute of Oceanography]

What we can do now:

Commit to using reusable water bottles, reusable shopping and produce bags and other other multi-use containers around the house.

Refuse single-use plastics whenever possible (i.e. shopping bags, water bottles, to go containers

Bring your own food to-go containers for take-out

Collect metals, glass and plastics at home and bring to one of the informal recyclers in San Juan Del Sur (WhatsApp +01917-817-5549 for a list.)

Ensure that your trash is properly bagged and collected or disposed at the town dumpsite.

Let us know if you are intrested in a formal recycling pick-up program for San Juan del Sur (and areas within 20 KM) Info@ReNica.eco

Interconnectedness - Balance - Unity

The symbol above (and in the ReNica logo) is inspired by Mayan visual traditions and is sometimes referred to Hunab Ku (One God or Cosmic Center). The patterns represents interconnectedness, balance, and unity in the natural world, and with each other.

ReNica is based in San Juan Del Sur, Rivas, Nicaragua

ReNica.org | renica.info @gmail.com | Whatsapp +505 8352 7433