Fuerteventura mental health association ends plastic cap collection project

Fuerteventura mental health association ASOMASAMEN has announced the closure of Tapones Solidarios, a project that brought people together to collect plastic caps and raise awareness of mental health.

The Asociación Majorera por la Salud Mental said changes to packaging rules and the cost of transporting caps to specialised treatment plants off the island had made the separate collection system increasingly difficult to maintain.

The project arrived in Fuerteventura in 2017 with the support of organisations and individuals. It encouraged people to turn the everyday act of depositing a plastic cap into a contribution to solidarity, environmental care and mental health awareness.

Why the project is ending

ASOMASAMEN said newer waste and packaging rules require caps to remain attached to bottles so they can be recycled together through usual channels. It also cited the high cost of transporting collected caps from Fuerteventura to specialised plants outside the island, alongside the logistical difficulties of operating on an island.

The combination of those factors, the association said, means the project cannot continue under its current conditions.

ASOMASAMEN thanked the individuals, schools, businesses, organisations and public administrations that supported the initiative. It gave particular thanks to Fuerteventura’s Cabildo and all six island councils: Antigua, Puerto del Rosario, La Oliva, Tuineje, Pájara and Betancuria.

The association said institutional support had helped install educational structures at locations across the island, many of them heart-shaped. These became symbols of public participation, environmental care and mental health awareness, it said.

Possible new role for the hearts

ASOMASAMEN is reported to be considering alternative uses for the heart-shaped structures, potentially as places for mental health information, awareness and public participation. Any such use would depend on whether it proves viable; no decision has been announced.

The association will also continue information, prevention and awareness activities through EDUSAMEN, Educando en Salud Mental, a project intended to improve understanding of mental health and the experiences of people with mental health problems and their families.