D - Do Minga

“You don’t spit into the wind … and you don’t mess around with Jim.”

Trash.

Ecuador is a fantastically beautiful country. From the continent-splitting Andes to the warm sandy beaches, the amount of geo-diversity in such a small country is incredible. Until recently, however, the amount of unmanaged garbage has been appalling.

Before anyone gets their panties bunched up or climbs onto their high horse, this is NOT just an Ecuador problem; it’s world-wide. In the US, for example, if not for successful programs like “Don’t Mess with Texas” and Iron Eyes Cody shedding a tear at tossed garbage, litter would still be a large problem there today. (Fun fact: Cody was actually Italian, not Native American.)

Traditionally, litter hadn’t been much of a problem here. Many food products were contained in shells or husks (like tamales), and the “containers” would degrade. Plastic and foam containers were rare.

With the advent of plastic and aluminum containers, however, trash became a problem. Trash receptacles were rare and littering was even encouraged in some cases. (Seriously: the buses used to have signs reading “Keep the bus clean; throw your trash out the window.”)

That mindset is changing. Today, trash receptacles are common place and the buses have disposable trash bags (along with appropriate signage!). Recycling, although in its infancy, is also starting to take effect.

One of the most visually striking areas for seeing trash is the beach. Individuals and large groups will leave their garbage on the beach, I guess with the thought that the tide will come in wash it clean. Most disturbing to me are the large Styrofoam molds from appliance packing. They make great flotation toys for kids, but they break up into small pieces and are simply discarded when the day is done.

“Do Minga” is the local effort of the Minga Global initiative to make positive changes in our environment. The local chapter, led by a fellow expatriate, spends Sunday afternoons cleaning trash from the beaches (just as the weekend outings are winding up). At the end of the day, the beaches are cleaner and the kind, non-verbal message is relayed: “We can all help keep this clean!”. The effort is gaining momentum as more people receive the message.