TURNING PLASTIC WASTE INTO PURPOSE: DE PALM PLASTIC BALE #1

At De Palm Tours, preserving Aruba’s natural beauty is not just part of our mission, it’s part of who we are. As we celebrate our 7th consecutive EarthCheck certification and 2nd Gold recertification, we are proud to mark another achievement in our sustainability journey: the completion of the first phase of our Green Initiative. 

This success reflects the daily commitment of our team members who make sustainability part of their routine.

From May to September, our team members consistently collected plastic across all De Palm Tours locations. In the end we helped divert over 450 kilograms of plastic from Aruba’s landfill and ocean, that’s nearly half a ton of waste given a second life instead of harming and polluting our environment. 

In August, our efforts reached a new level with the arrival of our FB8 223 Collection Bin, a key addition that transformed how we manage our recycling process. This industrial container became the final collection point for the plastics collected. With dedication, teamwork, and a shared goal, our team filled bag after bag, until the bin was completely full.

Then came the big moment: on October 22, we used our trusty machine, “Captain Compress,” to compact all those months of effort into one dense, export-ready cube, Plastic Bale #1. That single bale represents thousands of plastic bottles that will never reach Aruba’s beaches, trails, or sea. It is now on its way to a PET Recycling Plant off-island, where it will be transformed into something new and useful once again.

This achievement would not have been possible without the dedication of every team member who sorted, lifted, and collected each plastic bottle, proving that true sustainability starts with people.

Our Green Initiative might seem small in the global picture, but for our island, it is a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish together. We are proving that sustainability is not just about words, it is about action. Every bottle sorted and every piece of plastic collected adds up to something greater: a cleaner, greener Aruba.