Reclaimed plastics in the architecture of the major tourist destination Jardines del Rey

In line with the policy adopted in the country for the proper management of plastic waste, the medium-sized company Restauraciones Riestra, from the central province of Sancti Spiritus, is integrating elements of the recovery of this ductile material into the architecture of hotel facilities. at Jardines del Rey.

Specialized in the construction and assembly of recovered plastic structures (access paths to the beach, small planks, floors, pergolas, balustrades, scaffolding, parasols, woven palapas and others), this entity has been working since the end of last year on the replacement of wooden pieces in poor condition of the hotel facilities in Avila’s North Bay.

Jorge Felix Perez, architect and responsible for budget management at Riestra Restorations, told the Cuban News Agency that they started their work at the Muthu Colonial Hotel, where they are replacing wooden parts in the style that mimics the emblematic building founded by Fidel Castro on November 12 1993 and pioneer of tourist activities in the sun and beach destination Avila.

This is a very complex task, because the modernization tries to respect the typical forms of the architecture of the time – as far as possible and without trying to achieve the finish of wood – in order to preserve the identity of the place, he explained. .
They have provided services at the Sol Cayo Coco and Mojito hotels; and currently a brigade of 13 employees is assembling the four access paths to the beach of the Gran Marena Cayo Coco residence, located at cautious heights so as not to affect the dynamics of the sand and vegetation in coastal areas, in accordance with the provisions of Legislative Decree 77 “On the Coasts”.

Previously, they have worked in other hotel facilities, extra-hotel and campsites in all regions of the country, due to the recognition they have obtained through the quality of the works and the advantages of plastic structures, being more durable due to their capacity. of resistance to environmental conditions, in addition to harmonization with the other components of the environment.

Elvis Rodriguez Riestra, manager of the mid-sized company, explained that they focus on design and installation tasks; they obtain the structures formed – of different typologies and therefore used for different jobs – through connections with other representations of the non-state sector (a non-agricultural cooperative and micro, small and medium enterprises located in the provinces of Sancti Spíritus, Villa Clara and Matanzas).

These organizations obtain good quality recycled plastics through companies that recover raw materials, then process them into on-demand parts and supply them to entities such as Riestra Restorations.

Rodriguez specified that the waste resulting from the assembly process is recycled and commercialized to suppliers, so that they maintain their use value and are repurposed in the economic-productive processes.

Specialists of the Territorial Delegation of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment recognized that these practices correspond to Resolution 96/2023 “Regulations for the work on sustainable consumption and production, Circular Economy (CE) and the gradual reduction of disposable or one-time consumer goods. ” use plastics”.
In the same way, the implementation of these initiatives in the tourism sector is in line with the strategy defined in the area for a CE, which considers the tourism industry as one of the priorities, taking into account the importance of this area for the national economic progress.

In a global scenario of overexploitation of natural resources that endangers their availability for the development of numerous activities and the survival of the planet by exacerbating environmental problems, sustainable consumption and production models, based on the basic principles of CE, are a necessity and the antithesis of the linear scheme (produce-consume-and-discard).

The aim is to reduce pressure on the environment and improve air, soil and water quality.

In the economic field, opportunities are increasing, due to the creation of new business models and the development of other markets within and outside the country, in addition to increasing the possibilities to achieve greater stability in the production of goods and services, with less waste and greater self-sufficiency in materials and energy.

Circular companies manage to reduce production and consumption costs, are also more resilient because they are less exposed to the volatility of raw material prices, reduce the consumption of energy carriers and facilitate access to innovative products with added value and competitive prices.
By implementing this model, entities contribute to improving health and quality of life by mitigating environmental and climate change impacts, while generating employment and economic savings.