In the heart of the **Alto Urubamba** in Cusco, Peru, the Matsigenka native communities managed to gather over two **tons of used batteries** during this year. The waste was delivered to the **Ministry of the Environment** (Minam) for safe final disposal, thus preventing the chemicals from these **[residues](https://noticiasambientales.com/energia/baterias-de-sal-las-pilas-que-no-explotan-y-son-mas-duraderas/)** from damaging their Amazonian territories.
The action is part of the **[Community Environmental Monitoring Program of Alto Urubamba](https://www.gob.pe/institucion/minam/noticias/1229441-mas-de-2-toneladas-de-pilas-usadas-recolectan-comunidades-amazonicas-para-evitar-la-contaminacion-de-sus-territorios)** (PMAC-AU), which promotes environmental surveillance and direct participation of indigenous communities. This experience not only helps reduce local pollution but also strengthens **community waste management** in territories of **high biodiversity**.
The massive collection was carried out with the active collaboration of the communities of Timpía, Monte Carmelo, Aendoshiari, Ticumpinia, Camaná, Mazokiato, Manitinkiari, Shimaa, and Poyentimari, as well as the rural settlements of Túpac Amaru, Cigakiato, and Manatarushiato. Together, these villages demonstrated how collective organization can address a **global environmental issue** with local solutions.
The program also involves environmental monitors from the area, who work permanently in the **Machiguenga Communal Reserve**. Their work strengthens the protection of **natural areas** and ensures that conservation actions are carried out with an intercultural and participatory approach.
### The step-by-step of a community action
The initiative to **collect used batteries** in Alto Urubamba follows an organized and constant dynamic. First, environmental monitors inform families about the risks of **abandoned batteries** in rivers, soils, or farms. Then, each community sets up collection points where neighbors deposit the **accumulated waste**.
Once gathered, the batteries are taken to temporary storage centers that comply with safety measures. From there, with the support of Minam and authorized operating companies, the **waste** is sent to facilities where they receive appropriate **treatment** to prevent contact with the environment.
The process concludes with the official delivery to the Ministry, an act that symbolizes the shared responsibility between the State, communities, and the private sector. In this way, a management model is strengthened in which the local population is a protagonist and ally in the defense of the **Amazonian territory**.
### Used batteries and their silent impact
Batteries are everyday objects in flashlights, radios, and other essential devices for daily life, especially in rural areas. However, when improperly disposed of, they release **heavy metals** such as mercury, cadmium, and lead, which seep into **soils and watercourses**.
A single abandoned battery can **contaminate up to a thousand liters of water**, endangering the health of human communities, animals, and entire ecosystems. The degradation of these chemicals is slow, and their effects accumulate, affecting the **quality of rivers and streams** crucial for the **Amazon**.
In the jungle, where life depends closely on clean water sources, the impact can be devastating. The **bioaccumulation** of these metals in fish, birds, and mammals causes alterations in reproduction, growth, and the survival of key species for **ecological balance**.
The problem is not limited to the Amazon. Globally, improperly disposed batteries are a **major environmental challenge**. The **United Nations** estimates that thousands of tons of household batteries are produced each year, many of which end up in open dumps, multiplying the risk of **global contamination**.
### An inspiring example
The Matsigenka experience demonstrates that **environmental education** and community organization can make a difference. Through the coordination of efforts between indigenous peoples, authorities, and companies, a virtuous circle of conservation is achieved, protecting both **people** and **ecosystems**.
Actions like this demonstrate that **waste** is not an isolated problem but a challenge that demands global responsibility. While **Amazonian communities** set an example with their commitment, the challenge now is to replicate and strengthen these practices in more territories, ensuring that the **protection of the environment** is a shared priority.
The Amazon, the planet’s lung and source of life, directly benefits from these **[local initiatives](https://noticiasambientales.com/residuos/la-unlp-investiga-la-utilizacion-de-residuos-de-pilas-para-crear-nuevos-materiales/)**. The work of the Matsigenkas is a reminder that each collected battery represents a thousand liters of water saved, and that the **defense of the environment** begins with the smallest gestures but with gigantic impacts.
