May 5, 2011

Cinco de mayo - the beginning of recycling for the Dielemans in Mexico

Often I have noticed a man poking around in the dumpster near our house with a big stick.  He pulls out metal cans and loads them in his tricycle.  I'm sure this is not a nice business in the heat and stench.  (Did I mention that toilet paper goes into the garbage rather than the toilet?)  Since seeing him gathering cans, I started saving cans at home intending to give them to him.  I'm not sure what he does with them, but at least I can save him the work of fishing for our cans.  Plus, it makes me feel better that some of our garbage is being recycled.     Recycling programs like in Canada do not exist in Arriaga.  However, that doesn't mean people in Arriaga do not reuse and recycle things as well, as in Canada.  Back home we often look for second hand items if it is reasonable.  But here many things can not be bought second hand because the original owner uses and repairs the item until it can not be repaired again.   Another example of recycling, is the great variety of old cars still driving the roads of Arriaga. Sam and I laugh to think about how cool we would look driving an old Datsun.  Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle do exist here.  It just looks vastly different.    So today I saw him again and decided to initiate a recycling program with him.  I told him I had some cans at my house and he could have them.  He understood that much of my garbled Spanish and followed us home to get the cans.  Next I told him I would save more cans for him.  I think he understood.  I'm not sure about the fine details of this recycling program - where and when, but I did learn that I can include plastic bottles too.  I hope the man is as pleased about our "agrement" as I am.