Panama river cleaned up by trash-trapping wheel in a green first


News from Panama / Friday, November 4th, 2022

Latin America’s first renewable-powered, trash-trapping wheel whisks away garbage floating down one of Panama’s most important but heavily polluted rivers before it spills into the Pacific Ocean, thanks to an initiative by a local environmental group.

The wheel, fueled by hydraulic and solar energy, collects the vast amounts of waste produced in the capital Panama City with its metro population of around two million people. Tonnes of trash often flow into the sea each year.

Latin America’s first renewable-powered, trash-trapping wheel whisks away garbage floating down one of Panama’s most important but heavily polluted rivers before it spills into the Pacific Ocean, thanks to an initiative by a local environmental group.

The wheel, fueled by hydraulic and solar energy, collects the vast amounts of waste produced in the capital Panama City with its metro population of around two million people. Tonnes of trash often flow into the sea each year.

“Cleaning beaches is good, but it is more effective and cheaper to trap garbage in rivers because when it reaches the ocean, the environmental and economic cost becomes too high,” said project leader Robert Getman.