Brazilian promises his children to save a river, creates an eco-barrier in his backyard, has already removed more than 40 tons of trash from the water, and even inspires the idea in other states of the country.

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 19/06/2026 at 23:07

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Created over 10 years ago in the backyard, in Colombo, Diego Saldanha’s ecobarrier holds back waste in the Atuba River, directs trash for proper disposal, and inspired projects in other states

More than 40 tons of trash have already been removed from the Atuba River, in Colombo, in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba, thanks to the ecobarrier created by environmental activist Diego Saldanha. The system, developed over 10 years ago, prevents waste from flowing down the river and helps reduce environmental damage.

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Ecobarrier was born in the backyard, in Colombo

The initiative began after Diego Saldanha repeatedly saw kilos of trash flowing down the Atuba River, which runs behind his house. Faced with the scene, he decided to find a simple way to block the waste.

A self-employed fruit vendor, Diego researched alternatives until he came up with the idea of the floating ecobarrier. According to him, the system does not interfere with aquatic life and works to retain the trash that should never be in the river.

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More than 40 tons of waste have stopped flowing down the river

Since the creation of the ecobarrier, more than 40 tons of trash have been removed from the Atuba River. The collected waste is directed to recycling projects or for proper disposal.

In practice, the system prevents improperly discarded materials from continuing to be carried by the water. As a result, the trash no longer reaches other parts of nature and reduces environmental impacts.

The solution stands out for being simple, cheap, and possible for Diego to maintain during his free time. The work, which started as a local response to the problem, gained visibility due to the volume of waste removed.

Idea was replicated in other states of Brazil

The ecobarrier created by Diego also began to inspire actions outside of Paraná. Some states have already replicated the idea, including Pará, which hosted COP30 in 2025.

Diego traveled to the state to assist in the installation of two structures: one in Benevides and another in Belém, the host city of the climate event. In Pará, the project began to be maintained by the public authorities, responsible for removing the accumulated waste.

For Diego, seeing a solution created in his backyard being applied in other regions of the country shows how an individual action can serve as an example for larger environmental actions.

Man creates innovative idea and removes tons of waste from the river — Image: Reproduction / Youtube

Irregular disposal can result in fines starting at R$ 5,000

Diego also uses the profile @ecobarreiradiegosaldanha on Instagram to showcase the work done in the river and guide the population on the correct disposal of bulky waste.

In one post, upon finding a mattress, he contacted the Secretary of the Environment to request the proper removal of the material. The guidance is for citizens to seek the service responsible for collecting this type of waste.

Items like mattresses, sofas, furniture, and appliances can end up in rivers, streams, vacant lots, and green areas when disposed of irregularly. According to the alert mentioned in the material, the fine for this type of infraction can start at R$ 5,000.

This article was prepared based on the information provided in the source material about Diego Saldanha and the ecobarrier of the Atuba river, with data, numbers, and statements preserved as per the consulted material.

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Brazilian promises his children to save a river, creates an eco-barrier in his backyard, has already removed more than 40 tons of trash from the water, and even inspires the idea in other states of the country.

Created over 10 years ago in the backyard, in Colombo, Diego Saldanha’s ecobarrier holds back waste in the Atuba River, directs trash for proper disposal, and inspired projects in other states

Ecobarrier was born in the backyard, in Colombo

More than 40 tons of waste have stopped flowing down the river

Idea was replicated in other states of Brazil

Irregular disposal can result in fines starting at R$ 5,000

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Brazilian promises his children to save a river, creates an eco-barrier in his backyard, has already removed more than 40 tons of trash from the water, and even inspires the idea in other states of the country.

Created over 10 years ago in the backyard, in Colombo, Diego Saldanha’s ecobarrier holds back waste in the Atuba River, directs trash for proper disposal, and inspired projects in other states

Ecobarrier was born in the backyard, in Colombo

More than 40 tons of waste have stopped flowing down the river

Idea was replicated in other states of Brazil

Irregular disposal can result in fines starting at R$ 5,000

Libya built over 4,000 kilometers of underground pipelines to bring water from the Sahara to coastal cities in a project that the government itself called the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Desert sand, previously discarded for being too smooth for concrete, becomes an ecological brick in the United Arab Emirates, dispensing with Portland cement, curing at room temperature, and attempting to transform dunes useless for construction into raw material for a new arid engineering.

He transformed an abandoned plastic water tank into an underground house in the “hobbit hole” style, using only repurposed pallet wood, without heavy machinery or expensive labor.

Toyota launches “family hybrid van” with 7 or 8 seats, 1.8 hybrid engine, fuel consumption of up to 23.8 km/l, and a price equivalent to about R$ 104,000 without taxes, below the Tiggo 8 Pro Plug-in Hybrid sold in Brazil: meet the Noah Hybrid 2026 in Japan.

China transforms desert-devastated area into the world’s largest artificial forest, planting trees for 60 years, blocking sand that reached Beijing, and creating a “green lung” of 92,000 hectares in a region once considered lost.

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