2021
Getting back on our feet.
While the pandemic continues, the Foundation has been able to put staff back on contracts and return to work since February.
Green Apple was named Best Global Eco Initiative in the Marie Claire Sustainable Travel Awards.
2021
Getting back on our feet.
While the pandemic continues, the Foundation has been able to put staff back on contracts and return to work since February.
Green Apple was named Best Global Eco Initiative in the Marie Claire Sustainable Travel Awards.
2021
Getting back on our feet.
While the pandemic continues, the Foundation has been able to put staff back on contracts and return to work since February.
Green Apple was named Best Global Eco Initiative in the Marie Claire Sustainable Travel Awards.
2026
A New Vision for Collaborative Tourism
Tourism in Cartagena is helping these amazing projects flourish:
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Industrial-scale glass transformation
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New glass art courses for more artisans
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Colombia's first zero-waste island
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A carbon-neutral brick factory
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Marine conservation efforts
Discover more and support our work if you can!
2021
Getting back on our feet.
While the pandemic continues, the Foundation has been able to put staff back on contracts and return to work since February.
Green Apple was named Best Global Eco Initiative in the Marie Claire Sustainable Travel Awards.
2021
Getting back on our feet.
While the pandemic continues, the Foundation has been able to put staff back on contracts and return to work since February.
Green Apple was named Best Global Eco Initiative in the Marie Claire Sustainable Travel Awards.
2021
Getting back on our feet.
While the pandemic continues, the Foundation has been able to put staff back on contracts and return to work since February.
Green Apple was named Best Global Eco Initiative in the Marie Claire Sustainable Travel Awards.
2025
Growth and Evolution
In 2025, the Foundation grew by 55% year-over-year, and with the installation of an industrial plant, we now have the capacity to process up to 200 tons of glass per month.
We won first prize in the Green Business category at the Gemas Awards, a national award. And we participated in the Fondo Mujer program, an initiative led by the Vice President's Ministry.
We launched a pilot project in the Rosario Islands, together with the community, Orika Recicla, and seven beach clubs, to create the first zero-waste island in Colombia.
2021
Getting back on our feet.
While the pandemic continues, the Foundation has been able to put staff back on contracts and return to work since February.
Green Apple was named Best Global Eco Initiative in the Marie Claire Sustainable Travel Awards.
2021
Getting back on our feet.
While the pandemic continues, the Foundation has been able to put staff back on contracts and return to work since February.
Green Apple was named Best Global Eco Initiative in the Marie Claire Sustainable Travel Awards.
2021
Getting back on our feet.
While the pandemic continues, the Foundation has been able to put staff back on contracts and return to work since February.
Green Apple was named Best Global Eco Initiative in the Marie Claire Sustainable Travel Awards.
2024
New alliances, projects and skills
Our capacity to grow was impacted in 2024 with the delay of the new glass machinery, but we didn't sit on our laurels, because waste never stops being produced.
We worked with over 60 organisations in Cartagena, the islands and in Barranquilla, Medellin and Bogota and diverted over 100 tons of waste from landfill, sustaining 16 jobs.
Our project in Barú started offering recycling to neighbouring businesses and we helped to shape new iniciatives on nearby islands.
2021
Getting back on our feet.
While the pandemic continues, the Foundation has been able to put staff back on contracts and return to work since February.
Green Apple was named Best Global Eco Initiative in the Marie Claire Sustainable Travel Awards.
2021
Getting back on our feet.
While the pandemic continues, the Foundation has been able to put staff back on contracts and return to work since February.
Green Apple was named Best Global Eco Initiative in the Marie Claire Sustainable Travel Awards.
2021
Getting back on our feet.
While the pandemic continues, the Foundation has been able to put staff back on contracts and return to work since February.
Green Apple was named Best Global Eco Initiative in the Marie Claire Sustainable Travel Awards.
2023
Recognition and funding to grow
2023 was exciting and fulfilling for the entire team. We recycled 107 tons - more than ever - through collection services and replicating our micro-model to help hotels and communities recycle self-sufficiently.
We dreamed big when we entered, and then won, the Tahona Society's $50,000 USD Global Positive Impact grant.
In 2024, we'll be opening Cartagena's very first industrial glass recycling centre with the capacity to divert up to 100 tons of glass a month from landfills.
2022
From strength to strength.
In 2022, we worked with over 20 businesses, training over 200 staff and diverting over 75 tons of waste from landfill.
We've seen impressive professional development for both our waste management team and the artisans.
Our consulting services have grown especially attractive for island businesses, who are diverting 50% - 90% of their waste from landfill!
2021
Getting back on our feet.
While the pandemic continues, the Foundation has been able to put staff back on contracts and return to work since February.
Green Apple was named Best Global Eco Initiative in the Marie Claire Sustainable Travel Awards.
2021
Getting back on our feet.
While the pandemic continues, the Foundation has been able to put staff back on contracts and return to work since February.
Green Apple was named Best Global Eco Initiative in the Marie Claire Sustainable Travel Awards.
2021
Getting back on our feet.
While the pandemic continues, the Foundation has been able to put staff back on contracts and return to work since February.
Green Apple was named Best Global Eco Initiative in the Marie Claire Sustainable Travel Awards.
2021
Getting back on our feet.
While the pandemic continues, the Foundation has been able to put staff back on contracts and return to work since February.
Green Apple was named Best Global Eco Initiative in the Marie Claire Sustainable Travel Awards.
2020
Stopped in our tracks.
By March 2020, the Foundation was making strong progress and financially robust.
Colombia locked down for almost 7 months making operations impossible. However, with a generous donation of £5,000 GBP from the Treebeard Trust combined with government subsidies, Green Apple was able to keep staff on salary until September.
The final three months of the year the Foundation was closed.
2019
First full year of operation.
2019 was a year of growth for the Foundation. Waste collection increased from 3 tons a month to over 8 tons a month.
Green Apple secured a contract with Diageo to process bottle waste from seven local bars and nightclubs.
Investing in an electric scooter (rather than a bicycle!) made collections faster and more efficient. A crowdfunding campaign raised $4,000 USD enabling the Foundation to launch the female artisan workshops.
2018
Start-up mode.
In May 2018, Blue Apple Beach (a hotel on an island near Cartagena, Colombia) decided to share knowledge, best practice and resources with other businesses trying to reduce the impact of their waste.
The Fundación Green Apple was created as a separate, non-profit legal entity. The first eight months of operation were a steep learning curve in not only waste management, but also fundraising, budgeting and reporting.
