Panama
Panama is where many of our partners’ projects meet: a city-wide cleanup of the Bay of Panama, mangrove cleanups and a new recycling structure in Bocas del Toro, and the #1 project in the world in 100 Projects in 100 Countries.
Panama City: a major cleanup for a cleaner Bay of Panama
Panama City has launched its largest cleanup yet, a 425-day plan to clear waste from the rivers, mangroves and coastline that feed into the Bay of Panama.
- US$4.8 million invested by the Alcaldía de Panamá, with the environment and health ministries.
- 425 days of continuous work by the Consorcio Río Verde.
- 534 tons removed by 12 September 2026, about 470 tons a week.
- Where: the Matías Hernández and Río Abajo rivers, the mangroves, and the coast from the Amador Causeway to Costa del Este.
- How: drones and heavy equipment find and remove waste that has built up for years.
By one estimate prepared for the UN Environment Programme, more than 100,000 tons of land-based waste reach the sea from Panama each year, which is why stopping it in the rivers matters.
Read the Alcaldía announcement (Spanish) Latest progress on TVN (Spanish)
Bocas del Toro: mangrove cleanups and a new recycling structure
In the Bocas del Toro archipelago, ocean plastic collects on mangrove islands and less than 5 percent of waste reaches recycling. Jana Koebel, Project Manager for One Earth One Ocean and the Rotary Club of Newport Beach advisor for plastic projects, is building a recycling structure with the local Bocas Recycle Center, starting with marine debris removal.
In the news: The Bocas Breeze, 23 May 2026
8 to 10 tons of trash cleared from Solarte mangroves
On 20 May 2026 Jana Koebel of One Earth One Ocean organized a cleanup of illegal dump sites in the mangroves on the south side of Solarte Island, Bocas del Toro. About two dozen volunteers on five boats, with local dive centers and surf schools, hauled out roughly 450 to 500 bags, around 8 to 10 tons of trash, and found a third dump site along the way. The community is now pushing for lasting fixes: certified trash transport from the outer islands, businesses tracking their waste to the official collection service, and watching dump sites.
Meet Jana Koebel About One Earth One Ocean
The Panama Project: #1 in the world
The Panama Project in Bocas del Toro is #1 in the Top 10 of 100 Projects in 100 Countries. The flagship of the 7 Seas Initiative, it combines coral reef restoration, youth marine education and community stewardship.
Panama’s plastic laws
In 2018 Panama became the first country in Central America to ban single-use polyethylene bags. See it with other laws in our law tracker.
Panama in the database
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Algramo
Santiago, Chile
Chilean refill company whose smart dispensers and reusable containers let shoppers buy exactly what they need without new packaging.
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Bocas Recycle Center
Bocas del Toro, Panama
Local recycling company in Bocas del Toro, Panama, that collects plastics, cardboard, cartons, cans and glass, and is partnering with One Earth One Ocean and Seas & Straws to add ocean plastic recovery.
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GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives)
Network of grassroots groups building zero waste cities and fair work for waste pickers, as an alternative to burning plastic.
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Global Plastic Action Partnership
Hosted by the World Economic Forum; helps countries build national plastic action roadmaps with government, business and civil society.
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One Earth One Ocean
Munich and Kiel, Germany | Founded 2011
German nonprofit that builds its own waste-collecting boats and runs local collection and sorting teams to clear plastic from rivers, harbours and coasts.
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Plastic Bank
Vancouver, Canada | Founded 2013
Pays collectors in coastal communities a premium for plastic they gather, using a digital record to trace the material to brands that reuse it.
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RiverRecycle
Helsinki, Finland | Founded 2019
Finnish company that installs river cleaning systems on heavily polluted rivers and turns the collected plastic into building boards, creating local jobs.
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Seas & Straws
Bocas del Toro, Panama, and Germany | Founded 2018
Founded by eco warrior Jana Koebel: a plastic-free living and travel hub, plastic-free consulting for hotels, and on-the-ground recycling projects with One Earth One Ocean in Bocas del Toro, Panama.
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Tijuana River Project
Cross-border river pollution reporting and restoration on the Tijuana River, linked to Rotary global grant proposals with RiverRecycle.
Running a plastic project in Panama? Tell us about it