Like other countries, Cuba is dealing with plastic pollution that has washed up on its beach shores and river basins. A new World Bank report, Marine Pollution in the Caribbean: Not a Minute to Waste, analyzes the causes and offers solutions for ocean pollution in one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, now a hotspot for marine debris, especially plastics. In the Caribbean and around the world, plastics and other waste are more likely to end up in the oceans when waste is poorly managed, such as through open dumping, open burning, and disposal in waterways. The marine litter found in the Caribbean, however, comes both from the region and from northern waters, brought in by prevailing currents. Studies have measured the concentration of plastics across the Caribbean Sea and found as many as 200,000 pieces of plastic per square kilometer in the north-eastern Caribbean, according to the report.

Atres CNA (Cooperativa No Agropecuaria) based in the Province of Matanzas, Cuba, recovers plastic waste from the environment to develop products made of 'Ecomadera' (eco-wood in English), lumber wood made of plastic. The process of recycling plastic waste to produce Ecomadera or 'plastic wood' is well known in different countries. In Cuba, the Atres Cooperative is a pioneer in the exploitation of this material, which arises from the fusion of various plastics, from post- consumer and industrial waste. The cooperative, promoted by a small group of artists, was established in 2014. The Ecomadera is widely used in Cuba in the manufacture of building exteriors, thanks to its good physico-chemical properties that provide clear advantages over other materials. The Ecomadera is in fact resistant to corrosive substances, cold and heat, UV rays and humidity, does not suffer biological attacks, does not crack, does not need maintenance, and has high adaptability, durability and resistance. Among the most common products of the cooperative there are trash cans; picnic tables with umbrella; benches and pergolas; small fences, medium or large; gates and facade structures; stairs for beaches or platforms for swimming pools, beaches or outdoor spaces. They also produce furniture such as shelves, tables or chairs. All products have a guarantee of up to 50 years of life. Ecomadera is made from all kinds of plastic, without the need to use virgin resin. Using a mixture of different plastics in different percentages offers great advantages in terms of efficiency and performance in comparison with other recycling procedures that only allow the recycling a single specific type of plastic. The machinery use for this process has also been developed by recovering and repurpusing old equipment. In addition to its products, the cooperative offers assembly, maintenance, repair, restoration and setting services. The raw materials are provided by the 'Union of Raw Materials Recovery Companies' (UERMP), the national waste management company belonging to the Ministry of the Iron and Steel Industry (SIME), who found in CNA Atres a valuable final destination to large volumes of diverted plastic. Part of the raw material is also delivered by self-employed workers that are dedicated to the collection of solid waste.

Currently, the Cooperative brings together 170 partners, among which are distributed profits, depending on their contribution. The Cooperative has achieved great visibility in Cuba thanks to the quality of its products, which are attracting the attention of the most renowned tourist structures in the country, and for their ability to upcycle tonnes of plastic waste in design furniture for the setting of homes and public spaces. The production of furniture from eco-wood can currently be found in several tourist institutions in Cuba. In tourist centers in Matanzas, including the popular Varadero Beach, former cement benches have been replaced with others made from plastic lumber. The high demand for its products has contributed to the diversification of its production lines and has required the opening of new production facilities in the provinces of Havana, Mayabeque, Pinar del Río and Cienfuegos. As of 2019, the Cooperative has recycled approximately 250 tonnes of plastic.