The concept of recycling is great. It’s a very responsible way to live, making sure we reduce the continually growing footprint of trash and consumption we leave behind. While this is the main driving factor I’ve observed in the States, apart from not having recycling plants for your trash, in Nicaragua they are in many ways ahead of the mentality of recycling. However, this attitude is not quite fostered with our future ancestors in mind, but rather survival. |
Old School Buses
Amazingly, those buses that have been phased out in the states all seem to make their way down here. Its common to see some paint on the side saying “Baltimore School District,” or “Clark County School District.” They get a face lift, an engine reworking, and walla! They’re a great means of public transportation. Some of these buses are clearly before my time.
Grain Sacks
You know those nice rubber trash bins much of the States has? Not here. We learned our local trash system is equally picky…they only take trash that’s placed in grain sacks. The system is methodical; all the East-West streets get pickup on Mondays and Thursdays, and the North-South streets on Tuesdays and Fridays. However, you have something that doesn’t go in a sack, you better chop it up and put it in one.
Bicycles and Cars
Almost every part of a vehicle is saved. Through much rigorous labor, anything that can be bent back, tweaked, or cleaned is painstakingly given a makeover. If it isn’t reusable itself, it can be molded, welded, or creatively formed into a new part.
Plastic Bags
If you go to the supermarket, you have to pay for a plastic bag. As a result, more than half the people seem to bring their own. Pretty cool. Additionally, trash bags for the home trash are almost exclusively recycled shopping bags. Another use for trash bags that I wouldn’t necessarily recommend is for cooking. Apparently, trash bags make a good fire-starter even when it’s wet and melts onto wood making the fire burn longer. Apart from the carcinogenic fumes, pretty ingenious use if you ask me.
Plastic Bottles
Amazingly, I’ve seen some pretty cool decorative mobiles made of plastic bottles.
Coconut Shells
One of the local schools had a small business show displaying the students’ of five groups and their idea for a sustainable business. One of the groups made a bunch of items from coconut shells including coin purses, piggy banks, and pen holders. A great example of recycling ingenuity with the resources at hand.
Metal Bar and Cement Weights
While I really have no idea if the metal bar was an old street sign or car axel, whatever it be and whoever made it never likely could have thought it was going to have some cement plastered on the sides to create a set of weights. Another great example of making due with what you have in Nicaragua.
Vinyl Banners
Since electricity is relatively expensive here, electric signs for businesses are fairly rare. As a result, it can be common for someone’s business to be marked by a large vinyl banner saying “Jorge’s Bar” or something like that. Also, people seem to love to get information out via these banners. Something every town seems to have on occasion is the showing of some famous or popular soccer game (i.e. like the World Cup right now). They seem to go all out and make these nice banners. Well as businesses and events come and go, there’s a bunch of left over banners. However, this just starts their second life as a rain barrier. It can be pretty common to see someone’s truck plastered with varying colors of banners saying “Jorge’s Bar” or the like. Sometimes, these can be found on people’s houses to repair a leak or trouble spot on the roof.
This is what the culture inspired in me:
Mattress Bag
We purchased a mattress and it came in a big plastic covering. Now, this bag is ready to be a drop cloth when we decide to paint.
Plastic Packing Straps
If you’re wondering what that is, you probably haven’t given them nearly a second thought in life. They’re those flat straps that can come on crates, packages, or other items. For us, they were holding the packing around a fridge. Now, they’re in the works to be the support to hang a shower caddy from a cement wall.
Broomstick Closet Organizer
While I can't take credit for this, it's rather the brilliant ingenuity of our roommate Isabel, the handles from brooms make a great organizer, something not so common around here.
While these are just the examples I can think of right now, my creative juices have been awakened by the Nicaraguan culture of recycling for survival. - Tim