A small grassroots donation
Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2010 2:52 pm
I live in Argentina, a country that is about ten years behind in its thinking about environmental issues. The stores here hand out plastic bags for everything, and they inevitably end up as trash in the canals and on the desert and at the side of the road. There is very little recycling, and garbage is just raked up and burned during the winter, including the plastic bags and bottles which give off carcinogenic toxins.
On a trip to Canada last year I purchased 50 green bags from a wholesaler (under $20 for the lot), brought them back to Argentina and donated to them to the local mercadito. You can read about my small grassroots initiative here http://argentinawineblog.weebly.com/1/c ... ent/1.html
The project has blossomed and there are now several other individuals who donate bags on a regular basis in their own neighbourhoods. Eventually we hope to have a cottage industry established in San Rafael to manufacture and distribute the bags. The great reward is to see how the idea of eco-friendly practice has been embraced by the younger generation, the kids in the neighbourhood who faithfully carry their bags to and from the grocery store.
On a trip to Canada last year I purchased 50 green bags from a wholesaler (under $20 for the lot), brought them back to Argentina and donated to them to the local mercadito. You can read about my small grassroots initiative here http://argentinawineblog.weebly.com/1/c ... ent/1.html
The project has blossomed and there are now several other individuals who donate bags on a regular basis in their own neighbourhoods. Eventually we hope to have a cottage industry established in San Rafael to manufacture and distribute the bags. The great reward is to see how the idea of eco-friendly practice has been embraced by the younger generation, the kids in the neighbourhood who faithfully carry their bags to and from the grocery store.
