TEXT: Plastic waste dots the mangroves at Guacalillo beach, Costa Rica, on Aug. 14, 2018. Costa Rica discards 564 tons of plastic per day, of which only 14 are recycled, according to the government. Since April 2018, a program seeks to stimulate recycling by giving value to waste through the exchange of it for a virtual currency that allows users to make purchases at stores linked with the initiative.