Wastes

Large amounts of waste are produced in the banana plantations. One type of waste is the great quantity of bananas that are thrown out because they do not meet the companies’ standards for export. The other type of bananas that are thrown out are the “left over” bunches which are a result of over accumulation. In addition, the banana industry generates toxic and non-biodegradable waste, above all plastic bags, containers of pesticides, contaminated water from the packing plants, and plastic rope with which the banana plants are tied. The left over bunches are often thrown out on the outskirts of the banana farms, where they create health and environmental dangers. An example of the enormous volume of these wastes is the year 1995, when more than 283,000 metric tons of banana branches and more than 225,000 metric tons of banana waste were discarded. Something similar occurred with the toxic waste. In the same year, more than 4,000 metric tons of toxic bags and almost 5,000 metric tons of plastic rope were discarded.