ASOMASAMEN brings Tapones Solidarios project to a close after nine years of promoting mental health awareness and recycling in Fuerteventura

The Majorera Mental Health Association (ASOMASAMEN) has announced the end of its “Tapones Solidarios: una ventana abierta a la salud mental” project, an initiative that has brought together public participation, recycling and awareness of the importance of looking after mental health in Fuerteventura since 2017.

The organisation is bringing a nine-year chapter to a close. During that time, the familiar solidarity hearts installed at various locations across the island have become symbols of solidarity, environmental commitment and greater visibility for mental health.

ASOMASAMEN says the decision reflects changes to the conditions that made the project possible, particularly waste regulations and the costs associated with transporting and processing the collected bottle tops.

Regulatory changes and transport costs prompt closure

In a press release, the association says new regulations on waste and packaging design require bottle tops to remain attached to bottles so they can be recycled together through the usual channels.

This is compounded by the high cost of transporting the bottle tops from Fuerteventura to specialist processing plants off the island, as well as logistical difficulties arising from the island’s location.

Both factors make it impossible to continue the separate collection scheme under current conditions.

ASOMASAMEN has therefore decided to bring this chapter to a close, while stressing that the end of the project does not mean abandoning the values of solidarity, public participation, environmental education and mental health awareness that inspired it.

Thanks to residents, institutions and partner businesses

The association has thanked everyone who took part over the years, as well as the schools, businesses, shops, organisations and public authorities that helped deliver the initiative.

“Every bottle top deposited and every person who got involved formed part of a collective effort to raise awareness and show social commitment,” the organisation says.

ASOMASAMEN has paid special tribute to Fuerteventura Island Council and the island’s six town councils — Antigua, Puerto del Rosario, La Oliva, Tuineje, Pájara and Betancuria — for their involvement in installing and maintaining the educational structures used to collect the bottle tops.

It also thanked the Puerto del Rosario Business Association, Naviera Armas, Martínez Cano Canarias S.A., Transportes Carballo, Guerra y Fernández S.L. and HOSTELMEC for their support.

The association says institutional backing went well beyond logistical assistance, helping to spread the solidarity hearts across different localities in Fuerteventura and keep the project running throughout these years.

It says the experience demonstrates the importance of cooperation between public authorities and social organisations in promoting initiatives that encourage community participation and contribute to collective wellbeing.

Solidarity hearts could become awareness spaces

Although bottle-top collection is ending, ASOMASAMEN has not ruled out the heart-shaped structures continuing to serve a social purpose.

The organisation will consider alternative uses for them, preserving their symbolic value and, if feasible, turning them into places for information, awareness-raising and public participation related to mental health.

The hearts that served as collection points for years could thus remain in Fuerteventura’s public spaces, albeit with a different purpose.

The association stresses that the end of Tapones Solidarios does not mark the end of its commitment to environmental education and encourages residents to continue recycling correctly.

In particular, it highlights the importance of putting bottle tops back on their bottles before placing them in designated packaging containers, in line with local waste-sorting guidance.

EDUSAMEN to continue education and prevention work

ASOMASAMEN will continue its information, prevention and awareness-raising activities through EDUSAMEN, Educating in Mental Health.

The project aims to bring mental health issues closer to the public, promote knowledge and healthy habits, and foster a better understanding of the realities faced by people with mental health problems and their families.

The association says it is essential to keep working towards a better-informed, more inclusive society free of stigma, where mental health has a greater presence in everyday life.

It also invites residents, organisations and businesses to keep taking part in its initiatives and support EDUSAMEN activities.

“Because caring for the environment and looking after mental health are commitments we can share as a society,” ASOMASAMEN concludes, reaffirming its determination to continue promoting education, prevention, social inclusion and the elimination of stigma in Fuerteventura.