Recycling

This month our neighborhood was 3 weeks without water. It had to do with a broken pump or some such business, and we were told it would be fixed within a week. After 2 years in Oaxaca, I knew the "one week" goal was lofty and that we might be in for the long haul.

People began cutting down on their usage of water, and when necessary called a water truck to come fill their cistern for a high price. I cut down on my water usage as I knew how, but it took a Mexican house guest to show me the art of saving/recycling water.

As I flushed toilets with dishwater, I began to think of the other ways I've been able to recycle during my time here. Specifically, cans and bottles. I wish I could say it was my own idea, but to tell the truth, my recycling habits were kind of forced upon me :).

I began to notice that when I dropped my bags in the trash truck, the workers would glance through them to see if there was anything of 'value.' They have a crates and bags strapped to the back of the truck that various items are sorted into. So, to make it a little easier on them, I just put all my cans and glass in one bag and hand it directly to them. A side note on the trash truck is that when I have arrived a little too late to catch them on one corner, they will slow down the truck as they go by me so I can toss my stuff in - nice of them :).

I found the need to recycle plastic bottles when my landlords would not let me out the front gate with them. They would be sweeping as I hurried out to meet the trash truck, and stop me before I could get out the door. I was informed that, in addition to giving them the bottles, I needed to wash them out and remove caps and labels :). I have since learned that the man at the end of the block collects these bottles from the neighborhood, loads the back of his pick-up truck with them, and takes them off to wherever the bottle recycling land is.

And thus, Mexico has made me a better recycler :). I probably still have quite a ways to go, but it's a start, eh?

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"The LORD God put the man in the Garden of Eden to take care of it and to look after it."

Genesis 2:17

(Contemporary English Version)