Sweet Water Fund and Maui Totes

As I've mentioned in earlier posts, the rains have begun here.  Sadly, with the first five inch plus night, the rivers swelled and deposited a dry season's worth of trash onto our beach which subsequently, got pulled out to sea with the first high tide.  With so much attention that has been brought to light about the effects of single-use plastic items in our ocean, it was a tough morning to be a consumer.  I love Nicaragua because the groceries stores here have been charging people for plastic bags probably since the beginning of time.  Nicaragua still has the trash plague of most other third world countries.  We have however, noticed a recent shift in awareness.  The streets are cleaner in Rivas and Granada.  Gigante has trash cans at the beach now.  This is also a country that fixes everything instead of throwing it away.  Give a guy a broken fan, he'll make it blow air again.

Here is a progressive and very special project that was facilitated by the Sweet Water Fund in the town of Gigante.  The people of this community built a kitchen for the primary school using earth-filled plastic soda bottles.  The moms of the students take turns cooking for the kids here during the week.  

 

                                           photos by sweetwaterworld.org

Since we're on the topic of the environment, I thought it would be an appropriate time to share a photo for our friends over at Maui Totes!  They just released this year's line of their popular market bags and I got my two rushed in the mail right before I left Minnesota.  Thanks so much guys.  We use them in Rivas all the time.  

What do you do to minimize your use of single-use plastic items?  Are you like my sister and shove all your groceries in your tiny little purse during checkout?