Characterization data of recyclable waste on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, 2024
https://doi.org/10.5285/b6076854-c526-44b2-9e5a-4fa4f8df4b21
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This dataset presents information on waste characterized from the recycling flow on Santa Cruz island, Galápagos. Characterization was conducted between 19 and 25 November 2024. The process included recyclable waste classification, counting, weighing and polymer identification. The dataset contains the category and subcategory assigned to each item, the identified polymer type and additional comments, including brand information when available. The data were collected to explore alternatives for reducing inland plastic waste through a circular economy approach. This work is part of a NERC funded project (NE/V005448/1), that aims to reduce plastic in the Galápagos Islands and the Eastern Pacific.
Publication date: 2026-05-14
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Format
Comma-separated values (CSV)
Spatial information
Study area
Spatial representation type
Tabular (text)
Spatial reference system
WGS 84
Temporal information
Temporal extent
2024-11-19 to 2024-11-25
Provenance & quality
Waste characterization was performed at the municipal recycling centre. To characterize the recyclable waste, 2 bags per route were randomly selected by the municipality staff, resulting in a total of 8 bags per sampling event. The 8 bags were weighed and then emptied onto a tarpaulin. The material was thoroughly mixed and divided in four quadrants, three quadrants were discarded and the remaining quadrant was characterised. Characterization involved sorting the material into predefined categories, counting individual items and weighing each category. Plastics were separated and the polymer type identified using a portable plastic identification device (PlasTell NIR plastics scanner, desktop version, Matoha Instrumentation Ltd.) equipped with a transmittance-reflectance NIR spectroscopy, 1550-1950 nm - 2NIR lamps built-in. Data were initially recorded in field notebooks and subsequently digitized into an Excel database, where they were reviewed and standardized.
Licensing and constraints
This dataset is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence 
Cite this dataset as:
Flor, D.; Osorio-Baquero, A.; Aguirre-Sanchez, A.; Charnley, F.; Galloway, T. (2026). Characterization data of recyclable waste on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, 2024. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/b6076854-c526-44b2-9e5a-4fa4f8df4b21
Related
Correspondence/contact details
Other contacts
Publisher
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
info@eidc.ac.uk
Rights holder
University of Exeter
Additional metadata
Funding
Natural Environment Research Council Award: NE/V005448/1