Abstract

HERNANDEZ, Vanessa; CENTENO-BORDONES, Guillermo  and  PEREIRA, Carlos. Characterization of solid waste in the Los Roques Archipelago National Park, Venezuela. Letras Verdes [online]. 2025, n.38, pp.7-25. ISSN 1390-6631.  https://doi.org/10.17141/letrasverdes.38.2025.6326.

Introduction: Solid waste can have significant environmental and public health impacts, especially in protected areas such as the Los Roques Archipelago National Park (LRANP), where tourism is intense. Objective: To characterize the solid waste generated by households, hostels, and businesses in LRANP. Methodology: A stratified random sampling was carried out during one week in November 2022. Waste was classified by type, volume, and loose density, following the method proposed by Cabañas-Pinedo, Díaz-Sánchez & Oliva (2019). Results: A total of 823.25 kg of solid waste was recorded, with organic matter as the dominant category (58%), followed by plastic, paper/cardboard, and glass. Hostels were the largest contributors (19.76 kg/day), followed by households (13.18 kg/day) and businesses (5.44 kg/day). Plastic had the highest volume, while glass had the highest loose density (0.93 kg/m³). Waste generation increased on days with higher tourist activity (Thursday to Saturday). Conclusions: Waste generation is strongly influenced by tourism. The results underscore the need for an integrated waste management strategy tailored to island conditions, with emphasis on prevention, recycling, and community education.

Keywords : solid waste; tourism; environmental management; national park; Los Roques.

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