My last post was about trash and why I pick it up. I didn’t include a story about one particular clean-up session, because it has become quite a long story in itself, the prompt for a charity project that I have started for the island. And when I say for the island, I mean literally for the physical island, for Mother Nature. But as a beautiful side effect families will benefit from it too, financially, and babies, physically! It will be a triple win! Before I go into all the details about the project (and you may be able to help as well!), I will tell you how it all started…..
On one of my trash-pick-up outings, I followed a little trail into the bush. I had never walked that little trail, because it doesn’t really go anywhere that I ever need to go. But I was curious…. (well, to be honest, I kind of knew what I was going to find there)….and guess what I found: a big pile of trash. Mostly diapers and plastic bottles. Those bottles made me mad, because they should be in the recycling bins. The diapers made me very sad, because I realised that diapers are the most complicated trash that we have here on the island. For multiple reasons:
- we have many babies, and many used diapers as a long-lasting by-product of their sweet presence
- the diapers are not organic, so they won’t decompose in nature
- they are soaking wet after use, so they cannot be burned
- they stink, so you cannot just let them sit in your backyard drying, besides, if you do that, dogs will come by and start eating them
- they cannot be recycled, but are full of plastics and other toxic compounds, so even burying is not really an option