Recycling Volunteer Program
Enjoy the Caribbean culture and local lifestyle while working on beach cleanups, recycling initiatives, plastic transformation and support our local team
Highlights
- Become part of a team that protects the beautiful environment of the Caribbean and take action by cleaning beaches, help in Recycling initiatives and distribution of information.
- Help to create innovative products with our Recycling machine, help merchandise them and gain insight in the circular economy program to sustain this and other programs
- Work in environmental education with local youth and help plan and execute workshops with our partner project and within local schools
- Improve your Spanish with our local team
- Immerse yourself in the beautiful South Caribbean lifestyle, explore its abundant nature and experience exciting tours at discounted rates.
Our Conservation program is focusing on the Plastic Free Campaign. This project was implemented in 2019 and is a vital part of the national program to eliminate the use of single used plastic products. Our team is always looking for motivated helping hands to work on sustainable practices among the local population, support our plastic free campaign that organizes bi-weekly beach cleanups, workshops within the community and local schools and also offers to work creatively with our Plastic recycling machine. Together we will create the weekly program and distribute the workload among all participants and the guiding team. New ideas welcome and experience with a sustainable lifestyle preferred. As we want to expand the production of recycled plastic products we welcome participants with experience as well in project management and production but also young volunteers who would like to become part of our team and take action.
The fees include shared accommodation at our volunteer house, breakfast and dinner. We also offer free activities on site such as yoga classes or Latin dance classes. For participants 3+ weeks we also include Airport pickup service and first night with host family in San Jose as well as one week of free bike rental ($100 deposit required for lock, repair or cover lost bikes). All our volunteers have access to local discounts in selected stores, tours and services. 24h emergency support and support with travel arrangements. Your fee also includes a $50US donation (per week!) that go 100% towards our local programs!
You can also add some Spanish lessons at our on site Language School (www.Diversityschool.org)
Airport Pickup at Juan Santamaria International Airport
We include Airport pickup for participants 3+ weeks and the first night stay at a host family in San Jose (worth $90 US).
Accommodation
The volunteer accommodation is located only 900m from the beautiful Cocles beaches in Puerto Viejo, South Caribbean. Rooms are usually shared with 4 participants, each room with bathroom, cold water only! The property counts with a nice swimming pool area, many hammocks, yoga hut with mats and weights as well as a fully equipped volunteer kitchen with stove, fridge, sandwich maker; free coffee, tea and water all day.
We also invite you to help actively in the vegetable garden, compost and recycling system.
Food & Beverages
We include Breakfast and Dinner. Meals are healthy and a large variety with local fresh products. We don't offer sausages or beef and usually have 1-2/ week chicken or fish on the menu, vegetarian and vegan meal plans available at no extra fee. Glutenfree requirements have a small surcharge ($10 per week). Please inquire upon reservation and let us know of any allergies or food specialties.
Breakfast comes with fresh fruit, granola, homemade yoghurt, bread, cheese and/or marmalade. Dinner always includes a side salad and fresh fruit drink. Coffee, tea and filtered water available throughout the day. We encourage our participants to bring a refill bottle to avoid buying water in plastic.
Internet Access: usually we have an ok access at the project site (welcome to the jungle)
A typical day....
might begin with a good breakfast at 7am at our volunteer accommodation to be ready for the bi-weekly beach cleanup together with our team and kids from the Environmental Education program at 8:30am. After a few refreshments we will jump into the river to rinse of the sand and cool down before we stop by our partner stores near by to check on items that need to be replaced or displayed at 10 am. Afterwards we will measure the collected trash, separate it and document. Selected items will be cleaned and used to create new products with our recycling machine 11:30am.
- Sneaker and water shoes
- Dry Fit clothes.
- Natural Insect Repellent
- Sunscreen (natural/biodegradable available on site)
- Headlight/bike lights
- Bath towel
- Swim suit
- Hat or cap
- Day pack
- Small dry bag or Ziplock bags for excursions and to keep your passport (>> you will live in the rainforest where we have around 75% humidity, so PLEASE don't bring leather or valuable items!)
- Personally needed medicine
- Refill water bottle (with filter - we have a waterfilter on site)
biodegradable shampoo and soap (available in Puerto Viejo)
This program runs all year around and is starting every Monday (so we recommend your arrival at Juan Santamaria Airport, San Jose on Saturdays)
Our Conservation program is focusing on the Plastic Free Campaign. This project was implemented in 2019 and is a vital part of the national program to eliminate the use of single used plastic products. Our team is always looking for motivated helping hands to work on sustainable practices among the local population, support our plastic free campaign that organizes bi-weekly beach cleanups, workshops within the community and local schools and also offers to work creatively with our Plastic recycling machine. Together we will create the weekly program and distribute the workload among all participants and the guiding team. New ideas welcome and experience with a sustainable lifestyle preferred. As we want to expand the production of recycled plastic products we welcome participants with experience as well in project management and production but also young volunteers who would like to become part of our team and take action.
A typical day....
might begin with a good breakfast at 7am at our volunteer accommodation to be ready for the bi-weekly beach cleanup together with our team and kids from the Environmental Education program at 8:30am. After a few refreshments we will jump into the river to rinse of the sand and cool down before we stop by our partner stores near by to check on items that need to be replaced or displayed at 10 am. Afterwards we will measure the collected trash, separate it and document. Selected items will be cleaned and used to create new products with our recycling machine 11:30am.
The fees include shared accommodation at our volunteer house, breakfast and dinner. We also offer free activities on site such as yoga classes or Latin dance classes. For participants 3+ weeks we also include Airport pickup service and first night with host family in San Jose as well as one week of free bike rental ($100 deposit required for lock, repair or cover lost bikes). All our volunteers have access to local discounts in selected stores, tours and services. 24h emergency support and support with travel arrangements. Your fee also includes a $50US donation (per week!) that go 100% towards our local programs!
You can also add some Spanish lessons at our on site Language School (www.Diversityschool.org)
Airport Pickup at Juan Santamaria International Airport
We include Airport pickup for participants 3+ weeks and the first night stay at a host family in San Jose (worth $90 US).
Accommodation
The volunteer accommodation is located only 900m from the beautiful Cocles beaches in Puerto Viejo, South Caribbean. Rooms are usually shared with 4 participants, each room with bathroom, cold water only! The property counts with a nice swimming pool area, many hammocks, yoga hut with mats and weights as well as a fully equipped volunteer kitchen with stove, fridge, sandwich maker; free coffee, tea and water all day.
We also invite you to help actively in the vegetable garden, compost and recycling system.
Food & Beverages
We include Breakfast and Dinner. Meals are healthy and a large variety with local fresh products. We don't offer sausages or beef and usually have 1-2/ week chicken or fish on the menu, vegetarian and vegan meal plans available at no extra fee. Glutenfree requirements have a small surcharge ($10 per week). Please inquire upon reservation and let us know of any allergies or food specialties.
Breakfast comes with fresh fruit, granola, homemade yoghurt, bread, cheese and/or marmalade. Dinner always includes a side salad and fresh fruit drink. Coffee, tea and filtered water available throughout the day. We encourage our participants to bring a refill bottle to avoid buying water in plastic.
Internet Access: usually we have an ok access at the project site (welcome to the jungle)
- Sneaker and water shoes
- Dry Fit clothes.
- Natural Insect Repellent
- Sunscreen (natural/biodegradable available on site)
- Headlight/bike lights
- Bath towel
- Swim suit
- Hat or cap
- Day pack
- Small dry bag or Ziplock bags for excursions and to keep your passport (>> you will live in the rainforest where we have around 75% humidity, so PLEASE don't bring leather or valuable items!)
- Personally needed medicine
- Refill water bottle (with filter - we have a waterfilter on site)
biodegradable shampoo and soap (available in Puerto Viejo)
This program runs all year around and is starting every Monday (so we recommend your arrival at Juan Santamaria Airport, San Jose on Saturdays)