On October 7 Alianza Cero Basura launched its #CuidemosTodos Campaign to reignite a sense of pride in Todos Santos and Pescadero. Held at the Cultural Center, the event brought together people from across a broad spectrum of the community including business owners, musicians, chefs, students, professors, dance troupes, composters, Mexicans, foreigners and neighbors. 

Favorite local band Los Hijos del Tropico debuted the fabulous #CuidemosTodos theme song that they wrote over the summer (listen here), and Mike Brinkman debuted the first of his #CuidemosTodos videos, featuring the people of Todos Santos and Pescadero (watch here). Colectivo Zenda and the local Zumba team delighted the crowd with flashmob dances, and the Tree Huggers got the party started by playing a wonderful collection of tunes. Todos Santos Brewing Company contributed their incredible drinks for half price and Oystera donated fantastic tacos and snacks. The Autonomous University of Baja California Sur (UABCS), CSU Todos Santos Center, the Palapa School, Equus Sur and La Huerta Teaching Cooperative all provided engaging presentations and interactive programs demonstrating the danger that unchecked waste poses to the health and wellbeing of the community and its natural patrimony. 

This event proved that the community, working together, can greatly reduce its waste footprint. Water Ways Baja provided a free water bottle refill station which resulted in 100 single-use plastic water bottles not being consumed and sent to the landfill, and Natura provided waste separation bins with the result that only 3 kg of waste headed to the landfill was produced the entire night, and the rest was sent to other destinations and repurposed. 

Carla Ramirez, Alianza Cero Basura’s Community Engagement Manager and the main organizer of the event was extremely pleased with the evening. “Having this event at a public space like the Cultural Center was a great way to demonstrate the need for taking care of the spaces we all share.  It was also a super fun and interactive way to demonstrate the goals and methodologies of Alianza Cero Basura and how they can have an immediate impact. The fact that this event – attended by around 300 people – produced only 3 kg of waste was the most effective way we could show the community that with proper planning, garbage production can be minimal, both at events and in our homes. We are excited that these 300 people will now be Agent Zeros, agents for change the community, leading the way for waste reduction and reuse.” #CuidemosTodos