The government and several environmental organizations in Iquitos began spreading environmental education of citizens, and the results obtained were of slight beneficial impact gradually. However, the garbage (usually piled in mounds) still appears in various parts of the city, due to the lack of environmental awareness in the majority of citizens. In 2013 the city attempted to launch a recycling program for plastics but did not get beyond the initial test stage. Most waste is brought to an uncovered dumping area next to the Iquitos-Nauta highway. Plastics and other toxic and non-biodegradeable products are still thrown in the river.