BajaNomad

Baja Basura?

aster - 1-27-2014 at 12:29 PM

Just finished our first trip driving down & back from BCS - lots of beautiful sights, but one not-so-beautiful sight was the large amounts of garbage lining the roadside and in the desert both on the outskirts of towns but also in the middle of nowhere. Thought I'd ask in here about the dynamics of all this.

My girlfriend was particularly dismayed - she's as gringa as they come and grew up in the pristine Pacific NW. Me, I grew up in the Philly area and also visiting family in Puerto Rico, so I'm used to poor low-infrastructure places where trash collection isn't always a given and a landscape that shows it. The difference being that those are densely populated areas with millions of inhabitants, in Baja even I was surprised how much trash was created and strewn by so few people.

The peak of that was after all the hard driving and seeing all that basura in the desert, descending to the Sea of Cortez and the entrance to Santa Rosalia - trash everywhere and even a large dump that appeared to be on fire with acrid smoked hanging in the air, about the ugliest way to greet visitors to your town I can think of. I could see my girlfriend's expectations being "adjusted" then in real-time. Fortunately our destination of Mulege & Bahia Concepcion was a different story, no garbage there to speak of...

What's the deal? Is this just an infrastructure problem?

Or a cultural thing, i.e. the concept of being a steward of your surroundings if not the larger environment just hasn't percolated down there yet? I'm guessing a few generations back most of their materials were biodegradable. Plastic, glass, metal, etc, don't break down so well.

I'd have thought that even without regular garbage collection, communities would get together and figure out some ad hoc fixes so the landscape isn't dotted with midden heaps.

Barry A. - 1-27-2014 at 12:51 PM

I went down to Baja for some 60 years starting in the early '50's, and yes, it has ALWAYS bothered me also.

My take---------It is both a Cultural AND infrastructure situation, and I don't see it changing much. Eventually, they will get the idea that it is hurting their economy, and maybe, just maybe, that realization will start to turn things around, but I am not holding my breath. There has been improvement in some areas. In the mean time, one just has to over-look it and realize that it is NOT the USA.

Basura is a huge problem, in my Gringo opinion, and such a turn-off!!! (to we gringo's, anyway). I always try and do my part, and then some, in picking it up around my camp, but it is mostly to make ME feel good, and does not impress the Natives, IMO.

Barry

[Edited on 1-27-2014 by Barry A.]

Loretana - 1-27-2014 at 12:51 PM

aster,
First of all, welcome to the Baja Nomad Forum.....

The last time I drove down from Oregon to my home in Loreto, I noticed how much LESS garbage there is out there, accumulated along the sides of the road.

When we drove from Loreto to La Paz to shop and bank we remarked how that section of Mexico 1 was particularly clean, and we noticed large full trash bags on the side of the road waiting to be picked up and disposed. So things really have improved. However..........

When you drop down off the "Hill of Hell" (Cuesta del Infierno) into Santa Rosalia it is shocking, how ugly that area is.

It is nice that you soldiered on and got to enjoy Bahia Concepcion. :yes:

sancho - 1-27-2014 at 01:22 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Barry A.
My take---------It is both a Cultural AND infrastructure situation, and I don't see it changing much






Barry, you more often than not, come up with valid points,
disposal ofl trash has has never been a high priority
in Mex , as pointed out, along with sparse disposal
service. I can remember when in the US trash was not
an issue either. I think it is changing in Mex, however slowly,
it is good to set an example, of sorts, to pick trash up
when you come across it, but there is a fine line in
trying to influence another culture with one's opinion
of how things should be done

[Edited on 1-27-2014 by sancho]

Osprey - 1-27-2014 at 01:31 PM

In some rural parts of the U.S. (and elsewhere of course) you might have been traveling down a paved road thru forests or grasslands and suddenly it turns to gravel. Don't have to ask yourself why because it's pretty evident you've just gone from Johnson County to Hickam County. If you don't know any better, as you travel Mex 1 down the peninsula, you'll think the whole thing is Johnson County. Lots of different and separate tax/transportation/municipio pesos going every which way. The other questions can go away quickly when you see that and know politics changes all of it every election and appointment cycle.

Bwana_John - 1-27-2014 at 01:47 PM

I almost consider that trash lot on the north side of Santa Rosalia to be a "Modern Art Masterpiece".

The volume and distribution of the trash is really quite striking.

vgabndo - 1-27-2014 at 01:56 PM

I agree that the roadsides seem cleaner than they did 20 years ago. And I agree that it is a cultural thing. The number of times I've watched my hosts just let trash fly into the wind is disheartening. Plastic bags and styrofoam fly best, and last a long time.

At the Sotres in Vizcaino the other day, I was proud to have remembered to take my canvas shopping bags, something I OFTEN forget in the States, at the check out stand the muchacho bagging had to ask the cashier what the hell to do with the stupid bags the gringo brought! It seems to me that the less developed world used to be WAY ahead of us in their use of re-usable shopping bags. Clearly it was something new to this young professional plastic bagger.:lol::lol:

LancairDriver - 1-27-2014 at 02:03 PM

The section of Baja that may appear to have the least Basura appearance may have more to do with the favorable wind trash removal conditions in that area. I believe it is more of a cultural problem although infrastructure certainly is a factor. Part of my opinion is formed by a River I fish in Oregon that has a pocket of Hispanic people living along the shore in a certain section. This is the only area along the River littered with all manner of trash to include used disposable diapers on an otherwise fairly pristine River. Just an observation, not a scientific poll.

Pompano - 1-27-2014 at 02:25 PM

Soon after I bought my first home in Baja, I invited my mother and father to visit. I wanted to take them fishing right away. Instead, my mother asked why was all that garbage littering the roadsides and why was I not doing something about it?

I've got down to the business at hand near my home and it has improved a lot since then. Every year the attitude spreads and it gets prettier and less littered. Rest easy, Mom...Rome was not built in a day.

Osprey - 1-27-2014 at 02:50 PM

In my particular little pueblo I'm always glad to see my gringo neighbors keep their homes and lots and areas clean and clear but I am never pleased to hear them prattle on about how they need to "Set an example for the Mexicans".


I do like thread like this because they remind me to do something about my own place. I think tomorrow I'll take a few truck loads of that mountain of trash behind my house out to the dump. I have a regular routine to keep things tidy around here. I did that last year and I'll do it again this year.

[Edited on 1-27-2014 by Osprey]

aster - 1-27-2014 at 03:33 PM

Ah, good to know it wasn't just me. That trashed Santa Rosalia panorama is something else - tourist $$$ are obviously not remotely a priority in that town. I sorta regret not photographing the dump fire for posterity's sake, but we just wanted to get the hell outta there.

And I agree Osprey, the whole "set an example for the locals" spiel can sometimes seem like a resurrection (if it ever truly left us) of the White Man's Burden, and it can be pretty unsavory. The irony is, us gringos are a rich enough society that we can our afford mass-scale polluting done out-of-sight-out-of-mind while smugly patting ourselves on the back for recycling some junk mail catalogues and aluminum cans.

On the flipside, I truly believe cultures can learn a lot from each other and in this case there's absolutely no good impact or secret benefits from throwing your trash wherever you want. In other comparably poor areas I've been (including elsewhere in MX) it's never looked that bad. Good to hear it's getting better.

Reminds me that whenever I first arrive in Mexico, I always laugh when these two thoughts arise like clockwork:

"Man, great to be back in a place where they don't have a stick up their a-- about everything!"

followed 10 minutes later by

"Hmm, they really need to get a stick up their a-- about a few things down here..."

[Edited on 1-27-2014 by aster]

[Edited on 1-27-2014 by aster]

shari - 1-27-2014 at 03:39 PM

as mentioned before, it is both a cultural difference as well as a lack of infrastructure & education....as well as a wind problem.

I have seen an enormous difference in the amount of garbage in the last 20 years. There didnt used to be any garbage cans anywhere and now there are alot more..but without proper lids, the garbage flies out, ravens & dogs pull it out and it gets caught in the bushes.

Groups like Wildcoast are coming to the towns and doing workshops and educational programs and clean ups...when people have to pick up the garbage in their barrio I think they think twice before tossing it out...but much of it is a result of wind.

Now the dumps are being moved out of site...they used to be located for convenience just outside the villages and it really doesnt bother the locals to see it there. Often they really dont get what all the fuss is about when gringos bring up the subject.

But it IS slowly getting better.

Kgryfon - 1-27-2014 at 03:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by aster
Reminds me that whenever I first arrive in Mexico, I always laugh when these two thoughts arise like clockwork:

"Man, great to be back in a place where they don't have a stick up their a-- about everything!"

followed 10 minutes later by

"Hmm, they really need to get a stick up their a-- about a few things down here..."


Perfect, aster... ;D Welcome to the forum!

woody with a view - 1-27-2014 at 03:54 PM

funny thing is the govt has installed trash cans along the highway (and some dirt roads) but now the animals know where to get a free meal, that is if the recyclers don't just toss the garbage out of the way until they get to the bottom while searching for a can.

has anyone ever seen a roadside trashcan being emptied along the hiway?

Sandlefoot - 1-27-2014 at 04:06 PM

I have been driving Mex 1 for 15 years and see less trash now than ever. At one time there where mountains of old appliances just off the road, there where Cars that had wrecked that were piled by the acre along the road, then of course there where the "B" trash flying around. (Boxes, buckets, bottles, and bags). As bad as it is now it is a bunch better than it was, and I think they are working very hard at getting more of it cleaned up. I have trash pick up twice a week here in La Paz and there is no charge for it!!!!! They are trying !!!!

Happy Trails

Pescador - 1-27-2014 at 04:15 PM

I took a good friend of mine from Mexico fishing in British Columbia. Of course he commented on the scenery and it was interesting to get his perspective of what he thought was going on. As you know, things get even tidier when you cross the border going north and it becomes a part of the national obsession. As we were going through a little town with newly painted white picket fences and carefully manicured lawns he commented that he was feeling a bit stifled and wondered if the local residents every had any fun or did they just clean their yards all day long.

I had a long discussion that it is good to visit and see how others choose to live but it is rude to make judgements about a different way of life.

DavidE - 1-27-2014 at 04:15 PM

I agree with Shari.

Dogs and garbage bags. Boil a handful of nasty chilies in a quart of water. Let cool. Fill empty windex bottle. Spray down bags after they have gone into the can. You might find one punctured with teeth marks but that's as far as a dog's gonna get. Habanero chilies work best but any thermonuclear grade will do.

MitchMan - 1-27-2014 at 04:33 PM

Definitely a cultural thing. Pristine antiseptic cleanliness is not a virtue down south. My wife has a really big problem with that; she can't understand it; it doesn't make sense to her why people won't paint the stucco, finish the construction on the house, keep their yards kempt, get rid of vehicle carcasses, etc., etc., etc.

But, I will say that I have noticed an overt effort to clean things up: basura baskets everywhere where once there were none, signs on the highway encouraging keeping the roads clean by telling travelers to hold onto and dispose of their trash appropriately. Other things like food handlers wearing hair nets and wearing plastic gloves. I think that USA restaurants and markets coming in and bringing management and operation practices with them helps to set some examples and gives local businesses competition in competing operationally similarly.

Positive changes to culture come slowly; takes time, but it is arriving.

When I visited Mexico City (just before the big 1985 earthquake), there were many things that stood out that were very counter to expectations to a home grown Orange County Californian. Not that much graffiti (especially compared to that in Los Angeles), no visible prostitution, ALL women and girls very conservatively and tastefully dressed everywhere at all times (especially compared to even those in Orange County), all young people were respectful and genuinely polite. There are good and bad things in culture. These are just some of the good things.

One other thing that stood out in my memory. I toured the high rent district where politicians and wealthy successful well known personalities and movie/TV stars lived...their yards were a mess and exterior maintenance neglected. I concluded unkemptness was part of the culture. Not sure and still undecided if that is such a bad thing.

I think Antiseptic households, absolutely perfectly flawless yards and homes goes together with not liking your food on your dinner plate to touch each other. I think THAT is a bad cultural obsession, but, then again, I am a fisherman. Besides, if you don't like your food to touch, you shouldn't be eating Mexican food in the first place.

My business partner used to closely inspect his knives, forks and spoons for spotting and would send it back if they had any drying spots. Drove me nuts. My mother in law would not let any trash accumulate in any trash can in her house. She would constantly be washing clothes because she didn't like the clothes hamper to have much in it. Some people watch food expiration dates like hawks...if it is close to or at an expiration date they throw good food away.

I understand that the former owner of Trader Joes is opening up a chain of food markets that stock only date expired but still safe food.

Clean Freaks like Howie Mandel and Jerry Seinfeld are obsessive about general cleanliness. Give some people a little bit of science and they go nuts and become irrational germaphobes using antibacterial hand sanitizers frequently, refusing to shake hands and wearing face masks...that's just ignorance. But, there you have it...extremes on both sides of the cleanliness fence. The healthy thing is actually some reasonable balance. We humans are designed to withstand a reasonable level of dirt and germs. Over Protecting your kids and yourself is actually unhealthy and actually hurts your immune system.

[Edited on 1-28-2014 by MitchMan]

Ateo - 1-27-2014 at 05:31 PM

I was stoked to see a trash can in the 7 sisters recently. I pulled over and put a bag of trash in it! Hopefully the birds didn't rip it to shreds and scatter it everywhere. I usually burn my trash when in desolate regions.

IMHO it's just as much infrastructure as cultural

durrelllrobert - 1-27-2014 at 05:53 PM

Remember "Tin Can Beach" before it was cleaned up and became Huntington Beach in the 70s:



That was lack of infrastructure (no trash pick up) so everything got left on the beach which had nothing to do with culture.

All those new developments along Blvd 2000 heading to the Otay crossing don't have all-up trash pickup yet and I've seen people dropping off their trash along the roadway and I don't think that's cultural either. It has to go somewhere.

JAG - 1-27-2014 at 06:00 PM

I think the Basura problem is generational as you can see the new signs along the road about keeping the highway clean as well as the new generation being taught in school to pick up after yourself and not throw thrash out the window of your car, things will get better.
The older generation still operates as before and just doesn't see the trash along the road as a problem. Thats the way its always been,
Toss the beer or soda can, so what. The new generation can see its a problem, The parents just don't see it way.
I think as time goes by, the younger generation will prevail and the highways and streets will become better.

Bajahowodd - 1-27-2014 at 06:01 PM

In my experience over many decades, there is a greater litter and trash problem in BC than in BCS. The mess near Santa Rosalia has more to do with the industrial mining operation than anything else. I do recall, many years ago, on my first S/B trip, being astounded as I ascended the Infierno, gawking at the Sea of Cortez, only to be confronted by the ugliness at the bottom of the grade.

But, I stand by my observation that by and large, litter and trash are a much bigger problem in the Northern state.

Pompano - 1-27-2014 at 06:22 PM

People create garbage. At the time of the 2010 census, there was 5 times as many people in the northern state (3.155 million) than in the southern. (637,026)

Seems some folks can bag it, but can't quite make it to the dump or barrel. This was on a US interstate...in Utah of all places!




[Edited on 1-28-2014 by Pompano]

Whale-ista - 1-27-2014 at 06:44 PM

unfortunately it doesnt stay in MX. Here are images of the plastic that washes over the border during rains, from Tijuana river into the US estuary on the other side.


plastic trash in Tijuana river

Loretana - 1-27-2014 at 11:36 PM

I am so impressed by Bahia Balandra, so close to the major metropolitan area of La Paz and possibly the cleanest beach I have ever seen near a city......

and the gentle reminder on this sign says it all........



Pompano - 1-28-2014 at 12:03 PM

BASURA

A Baja Highway eyesore we all hate. "Don't throw stuff out your window. Respect the environment." Sounds easy, right? Unfortunately, it takes a while to sink in....but the good news is, it's happening.




We can all help in small ways.

For many years, the garbage left on the beaches in Conception Bay after Easter was unbelievable...and created many health problems. Quite a few of us with pickups and trailers would work with the concessaires to clean up the filthy mess. Within a couple days there was a pretty, pristine beach again. The community effort ensured this and created good relationships between different cultures. We helped each other and made good friends that lasted thru the years.


Locally and more personally, some other things can possibly be recycled.

These two youngsters helped themselves ...and me... by hauling away this old aluminum boat. Created a job and made them some scrap aluminum money.




(hmm...I have NO idea why this writing is.. blue?)



Here's another old eyesore. An aluminum shed we built before the highway to house my old cabin cruiser, Pompano. It weathered many a storm and mishap over the years.



Hurricane Jimena's high winds finally did it in after 40 years of surviving other hurricanes, downpours..and clumsy drivers backing boats, trailers, and motorhomes into it's walls, plus other forms of mayhem.) Lots of good building material left in the shell, though.








Here's some Mulege amigos. They needed the material to reconstruct thier Mulege house roof..which had blown away in Jimena. Gracias, amigos...we helped each other...and with no litter.



Little by little....it happens. Keeping it biodegradable helps. I won't waste much time waiting for a government to solve problems....besides, it fun to get involved, plus meeting a great bunch of friends.





[Edited on 2-3-2014 by Pompano]

Barry A. - 1-28-2014 at 12:10 PM

RIGHT ON, Roger!!!!!

Barry

805gregg - 1-28-2014 at 06:59 PM

It's a cultural thing learned from the parents, we followed a Baja family into El Coyote beach, they beat us to the only shade, next to the one remaining palm, we watched as the (father, that was watched by his son) proceeded to take the trash and used diapers and throw them at the base of the palm tree. Next to them on the other side of the palm were 2 guys sitting in the bed of their pickup drinking beer and throwing the empties at the base of the palm, even though about 40' away was a trash can. Then later a Baja family came to camp on the beach, the father, first raked the beach clean and disposed of the litter in the trash can, then he set up a nice camp complete with their own shower and bano, his children learned to respect their country, but it is their country so it's really none of our business, it is much cleaner now than in the distant past

wilderone - 1-28-2014 at 08:40 PM

"it is their country so it's really none of our business"
Pollution of our earth is everyone's business. Nobody has a right to dispose of plastic bags so that they get blown into the ocean and consumed by marine creatures who will die because they cannot digest them. Nobody has a right to dispose of fishing line that will entrap and kill marine animals. Why leave your empty Pennzoil can on that tiny island tidal zone in a Marine Preserve? If tourists are beckoned and invited into a country, allowed by visa and permit, paying for rooms, taxes, and expect to enjoy an unspoiled beach, desert, forest - certainly not created by mankind in the first place - but only temporarily held in our stewardship - then anyone everywhere should respect the land, and in its most fundamental way, by not trashing it. "It's their country"? Is it? If it's your own backyard that you want to trash, go for it - but outside of your own personally owned property, it's NOT theirs to trash.
Baja CA is cleaner now than it used to be - the rusty upsidedown cars are gone, the piles of broken 7-Up bottles gone; most of the continuous stream of bottles and cans gone. But much of this has been replaced with diapers, plastic bags cought on fences and trees, bottles full of pee - so gross. How many more citizens and tourists are in Baja now than 15 years ago? Of course more trash will be generated. The government needs to get involved with some backhoes and govt. jobs; maybe some recyling that eventually gets re-processed - like tires, glass and aluminum. I do think Baja is making strides though.

ElCap - 1-29-2014 at 08:48 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by JAG
I think the Basura problem is generational as you can see the new signs along the road about keeping the highway clean as well as the new generation being taught in school to pick up after yourself and not throw thrash out the window of your car, things will get better.
The older generation still operates as before and just doesn't see the trash along the road as a problem. Thats the way its always been,
Toss the beer or soda can, so what. The new generation can see its a problem, The parents just don't see it way.
I think as time goes by, the younger generation will prevail and the highways and streets will become better.


I agree it is a generational thing - here's my firsthand example of that: Last November we did a mule trip to visit the cave paintings of Sierra San Francisco. When we returned to the rancho at the end of the trip, our guide's entire extended family was there to greet us - young children, brothers and uncles/aunts, and also both his elderly parents. We pulled out some cold Tecates & sodas that we had stashed in a cooler in our truck, and we also had a big bag of leftover Halloween candy (the kind that are all individually wrapped). Cervesas and sodas were distributed appropriately, while the bag of candy was passed around and everyone grabbed a handful. As we sat and chatted, I couldn't help but notice all the candy wrappers on the ground around el abuelo. As I looked up from the wrappers I caught the eye of our guide's wife - she rolled her eyes, smiled an shrugged. Her young daughter looked away from me, clearly embarrased. I'll always remember that. As we left a bit later, I saw the young kids picking up the wrappers, and a man throwing all the cans in the existing pile of cans.

The older generations don't see garbage, the new generation does. Two or three generations ago they didn't even have plastic bags, styrofoam cups, and individually wrapped items. Most everything came in cans and bottles, or came directly from the land or sea, with no wrapper at all. It takes education and time for things to change. Generational time.
Buts it's happening.

elgatoloco - 1-30-2014 at 09:14 AM

We have noticed the continuing enlightenment of the populous to the benefits of proper disposal over the years. As was stated .....poco a poco............

re: scrap metal removal - the Beijing Olympics might have been the best thing to ever happen to THE BAJA roadside landscape. During the run up to the games the price of scrap was up 60% and the economics made it sensible to haul the stuff away and we saw a lot of it moving during that time frame

Osprey - 1-30-2014 at 09:35 AM

Crazycat, you make a good point. At times tidiness is directly event connected. When the governor in La Paz graces the little pueblos in this southern state with his royal presence all the garbage is collected, the weeds are cut and the little villages sparkle for a while. I love to see it when he promises to come, they clean up, he doesn't show.

I daresay they do the same thing in good old Uncle Sugar.

Ken Bondy - 1-30-2014 at 10:24 AM

Always got a kick out of this one:

David K - 1-30-2014 at 10:27 AM

Not long after you first posted that photo Ken, the people of El Rosario cleaned up that hillside! :light:

Barry A. - 1-30-2014 at 10:30 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Bondy
Always got a kick out of this one:


Ken----If that pic is just east of El Rosario, the dump is very close by where that pic was taken, I believe. As has been mentioned, "WIND" is the enemy of all open dumps in Mexico, I too have noticed-------a huge problem.

Barry

gnukid - 1-30-2014 at 10:36 AM

If you like Baja there is no reason not to spend some time cleaning up a bit public spaces. It's very rewarding and is infectious with kids and neighbors eventually. In fact you can request a dump truck for as little a 500-600 pesos. Today I requested a tractor at 200 pesos and dump truck and the cost is about 1000 pesos for two trips because it all fits in the schedule or some other load of stones. Everyone is out-Tom-Sawyering each other cleaning up garbage and we are enjoying a new pristine view!

Do you ever see people walking up and down the peninsula cleaning? Ever ask them why? It's a bit of a spiritual adventure and you might find treasure or a puppy or see a rare bird or two!

BajaBlanca - 1-30-2014 at 11:41 AM

Aster and Jag, welcome to the forum.

Trash has always been an issue with me and I have worked very hard to make a dent, the smallest of dents but a dent, here where we live in La Bocana, BCS.

I put together a website and this year I have decided to organize clean ups every other weekend with the 7 graders I teach English to. After the clean up, I bake cakes and we sit around and enjoy each others company. The best part of all this is that the school recently decided to have the kids do projects on pollution and solutions. I was interviewed twice this week. (((:

Here is the link in English and I did another in Spanish:

https://sites.google.com/site/cleaningupbaja/

Osprey - 1-30-2014 at 12:24 PM

Blanca, I will probably never understand why the things you do to help your Mexican neighbors humbles me, thrills me and fills me with pride for you, for your acts of kindness. My frustration lies in the fact that your need to teach the people of this country to be just like you, disgusts me, puts me off in so many other ways.

BajaBlanca - 1-30-2014 at 05:53 PM

Thanks Osprey,but don't feel disgusted ....as a child I remember hearing the words "Don't be a litterbug." and that is what I am trying to teach the kids!

Here are some pics from last Saturday:


before:






after:






our B&B guest got invited to come out too....he really helped a lot!







Yours truly:


BajaBlanca - 1-30-2014 at 07:05 PM

So, I have been thinking about this post and I want to mention that when San Diego is having a fiscal crisis, the freeways are not cleaned up and the mess is just as disgusting as the trash I see here in Mexico ........

bigzaggin - 2-2-2014 at 12:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by woody with a view
funny thing is the govt has installed trash cans along the highway (and some dirt roads) but now the animals know where to get a free meal, that is if the recyclers don't just toss the garbage out of the way until they get to the bottom while searching for a can.

has anyone ever seen a roadside trashcan being emptied along the hiway?


Never. We pass those rural cans all the time on our way out to the coast and more often than not they're just informal dumps, where animals get to the trash way before any collector. So we avoid 'em and pack our stuff out to the nearest town. It'll probably suffer a similar fate there, but at least someone gets a crack at all the Tecate cans.

Barry A. - 2-2-2014 at 12:53 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bigzaggin
Quote:
Originally posted by woody with a view
funny thing is the govt has installed trash cans along the highway (and some dirt roads) but now the animals know where to get a free meal, that is if the recyclers don't just toss the garbage out of the way until they get to the bottom while searching for a can.

has anyone ever seen a roadside trashcan being emptied along the hiway?


Never. We pass those rural cans all the time on our way out to the coast and more often than not they're just informal dumps, where animals get to the trash way before any collector. So we avoid 'em and pack our stuff out to the nearest town. It'll probably suffer a similar fate there, but at least someone gets a crack at all the Tecate cans.


Bottom line--------remote location trash cans are a magnet for household garbage, and seldom work out as any type of "solution". "Trash", outside of cities or municipilaties where infrastructure exists to handle the situation, is an individuals responsibility.

We in the land management business have learned that the hard way.

Barry

Caught in action

Pompano - 2-2-2014 at 01:05 PM

While passing offshore in my boat near Conception Bay's shrine on the highway, I noticed this truck doing garbage pick up from the cans placed near there. Was a heartening sight, so I grabbed my camera. This would not have happened in the not-so-distant past. Poco a poco...little by little. Congratulations, Mulege!

Barry A. - 2-2-2014 at 01:23 PM

That is very encouraging, Roger. It does take effort and commitment, and yes, Mulege is to be congratulated.

Barry

Cypress - 2-2-2014 at 01:30 PM

If there's no regular garbage pick-up people will either burn it, or dump it themselves.