It's Easy Being Green

Earth Day was first recognized on this day in 1970 due in large part to the efforts of Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin who was becoming increasingly concerned about the lack of legislation regulating environmental issues. Hence, this gave birth to the environmental movement when on the very first Earth Day 20 million people gathered on American streets and in communities to protest the way industry was degrading the earth. The movement has only been growing since and has become a global initiative with countries around the globe joining in the environmental effort. Schools and community groups often organize events and hold week long celebrations and educational campaigns in order to increase awareness about the environment.  Global examples include China, a country so renowned for its air pollution that the U.S. Embassy in Beijing issues daily air quality alerts. On Earth Day 2012, 100,000 people rode bicycles instead of driving in an effort to save fuel and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Or Afghanistan, where in 2011 28 million trees were planted by the Earth Day Network. In Panama, 100 endangered species of orchids were planted and maintained in order to prevent their extinction. The list of projects and initiatives goes on and on.

Earth Day might only come once a year but you can easily practice green initiatives every day of the year. Here are some simple things you and your family can do to help our environment.

• Practice recycling in your own home. In many European countries it is mandatory. Refuse and recyclables must be placed specially bags but bags that hold recyclables cost mere pennies compared to the cost of the general refuse bags. In our house Sidney takes a leading roll in sorting what item goes into each recycling bin and is quick to point out when one of his parents accidentally places the wrong item in our blue recycling bin. 
• You can bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store. Here in Belgium the major grocery chains don't even provide you with any plastic bags at the checkout. Instead, you are expected to bring your own bags or  buy reusable large totes from the store. 
• And speaking of the store, when running errands, combine your trips or better yet, walk or bicycle to your destination. You will not only save on gas and reduce carbon dioxide emissions but the exercise is good for you too. 
• Go plant a tree. One city we lived in used to give away free trees to residents each Earth Day. Glenn and I took advantage of this offer one year picking up three small (OK very small) red maple saplings that we planted in our front yard. 
• You can eat local. By supporting local farmers you are not only helping the local economy you are eating fresher foods because they haven't been shipped half way around the world to your dinner table. This also reduces energy costs, lowers carbon dioxide emissions, and the food generally tastes better.
• Participate in, or better yet, organize a community clean up. Clean your streets, neighborhood park or waterway. When we lived in Albania our family participated in a beach clean up that removed tons of waste and debris from a nearby shoreline. Our efforts only put a small, temporary dent into the beach but as with most efforts, they start small before picking up momentum.

The earth and the environment effect all of us regardless of where we live, our socio-economic status, our political affiliations, or our religious beliefs. Because of this we owe it to ourselves, our families, communities, and our world to do our part to keep it green and make it a better place for all of us to call home. So this Earth Day please do your part to improve your own little corner of the world. Whatever you decide to do, no effort is too small.  Happy Earth Day!

Recycling: The Belgian Way

Earlier this year I blogged about "recycling" in Albania; now I am writing about recycling in Belgium and let me just say, it is a whole different beast here in western Europe. Like so many other things in Belgium, trash disposal, which includes recycling, is highly organized and regulated. As a newcomer to the country, learning the Belgian way of dealing with trash is both time consuming and heartening since at the end of the day, it makes this a better place for all of us to live.

I knew trash disposal was serious business when upon signing our lease, we were promptly handed six pages of charts, schedules, and rules outlining how we were to get rid of our household waste. After being informed that we would receive a "trash tax" bill in the mail and that we must pay it promptly, our housing counselor told us that we were lucky since as residents of the center city of Mons, we would receive twice weekly trash pick up instead of the customary one. (In a house without a garbage disposal or composting options, this is proving to be especially important). But he also warned us that in order to have our trash picked up, we had to place it on the curb before a designated time in special bags. Yes, no Hefty trash bags here. And using those plastic bags from the grocery store? I think not; most grocery stores do not even have any disposable bags at all. Rather, as I discovered, you have the choice of purchasing reasonably priced, reusable bags, even less expensive plastic bags (that are again clearly reusable), or hauling everything out of the store in your arms.  So for disposing of our trash we are required to purchase rolls of biodegradable bags at the local grocery store. These blue or grayish bags are produced by Hygea, the local trash company and while not necessarily expensive, it is in our best interest to cram as much as possible into each bag. After all, each bag is money and since our neighbors have clearly managed to contain their trash to one bag per pick up, I am determined that we can too.

In the United States we were avid recyclers and instinctively knew how to sort our plastics, metals, glass, and papers in order to abide by the local regulations. The city provided us with huge wheeled bins and curbside pickup so there really wasn't any excuse for not recycling. In Albania what recycling was available was very loosey-goosey with my being told upon inquiry to just dump it all together and it would get sorted and separated later. Really??? I quickly discovered that the most efficient recycling program was that of the Roma dumpster divers. After all of this, in Belgium I'm finding the sorting system to be less than intuitive and am struggling through a learning curve. Here plastic beverage containers are recyclable and go in the blue bag while plastic yogurt containers are considered trash for the grayish bags. Aluminium, aerosol cans and jar covers are blue bag materials while other metals, Styrofoams, and plastic wrappings are trash. As are food scraps, old, toys, and clothing. Actually, when you come to think about it, a lot of things are considered trash which is why the grayish bags cost ten times as much as the blue ones.   But all of these items, along with sorted, broken down, and tied papers and cardboard will be picked up outside of our stoop twice a week. Bottles and glass are a completely different category unto themselves. These must be sorted by color- clear and everything else- and placed in the bunker-like domed recycling bins at any of the numerous community recycling centers. I've already located our local recycling center and plan on taking my bottles over there soon.

Recycling in Belgium takes work. I have the recycling cheat sheet taped to the refrigerator for easy reference. We're constantly reminding Sidney that not every trash can is actually a trash can and only certain items can be placed in each one. (Evenings find me sorting through both of our bins performing a quality control inspection). But all it takes is a quick look around any Belgian community to see the benefits of recycling. The lack of disposable grocery bags means very few wayward and windblown pieces of plastic laying along the roadsides. Sidewalk trash cans are readily available along every city street and they are emptied on a regular basis. Sure it is taking me some time to figure out what goes where but teaching Sidney the reasons for doing so are proving to be an important lesson.  I for one enjoy driving or walking down the street and not seeing trash and am glad to be a part of it. Now if I can just remember to always bring my bags into the store with me.

Recycling: The Albanian Way

Albanians are alternatively and simultaneously the biggest environmentalists and biggest degraders of the environment.  How can they be both you ask?  I often wonder how this is even possible and the only explanation I can reach is that, like so many other aspects of Albanian society, activities are done in silos with little communication, coordination or thought about how one's actions may affect others or even themselves at a later time.  Let me explain......

Although I have been told that the conditions have improved in recent years, one only has to look at a roadside, stream bed or even the road itself to see the piles of trash that are strewn everywhere.  I first noticed this on our jet lagged drive from the airport to our new home in Tirana.  As we crossed what I thought was a river I gazed out the window and looked down expecting to see water. Instead I was greeted by the most disheartening sight of piles of trash, debris, and litter clogging what I can only imagine had, at one time, been a free flowing body of water.  This sight was repeated again and again, whether peering over the wall of the fortress in the UNESCO city of Berat, walking along the shores of the Adriatic, driving through remote villages and even hiking along nature trails.  (Really people?  Effort was obviously made to get the trash to such an isolated location but I guess out of one's personal sight is out of mind).  Not a day goes by when I don't see trash--both household or convenience or construction debris-- being thrown out a passing car window or swept out of a yard and into the street.  (My neighbors are really good at doing this).  And it has been with much chagrin that I've watched an ongoing road construction project in our neighborhood. No sooner have the construction workers graded the surface to lay asphalt than someone dumps trash bags and construction debris on top of the recently smoothed surface. Even when there is a dumpster available, trash is often dumped next to it rather inside.  Trash is literally everywhere and since no one seems to care the situation is only getting worse.

Then who are the environmentalists in Albania?  Yes, there is the small but growing number of western minded Albanians who are organizing and encouraging their fellow patriots to act responsibly and clean up their environment.  In recent years the US Embassy has been working with local non-governmental organizations to take a stand and make the environment a priority.  The idea seems to be slowly catching on and momentum is gradually growing.  School children and the next generation are beginning to get involved so I am hopeful that a cleaner Albania will exist one day.  But at the moment, in many respects, the true environmentalists are the very same people who are discarding trash on the side of the road.

Albanians are the original recyclers.  Whether it be plastic grocery bags (the very same ones that clog the country's waterways), furniture, or old appliances, these items get used and reused until they literally fall apart.  (Unfortunately, at this point, they just get discarded in a most un-environmentally friendly way).  Whether it be my housekeeper at home or the char ladies at the embassy, things I throw in the trash are continually being pulled out and placed on the counter or my desk because the are "still good".  A toy car with two wheels missing?  In my mind that goes in the trash but the car in question kept finding its way back into the playroom until I finally buried it in the bottom of a bag and hauled it to the dumpster myself.  At work, I once had to throw away a dried out bottle of white-out three times before finally taking it home and getting rid of it there.  The cleaning lady kept insisting it was still usable and I repeatedly found it placed back on my desk each morning.  The same goes for dried out markers, coffee missing their handles, and even cardboard boxes.  But some of the recycling is indeed practical.  The Roma here in Albania are infamous for digging through dumpsters and salvaging anything and everything.  Single shoes, scrap metal, rags, and empty bottles are all ripe for the taking.  Small appliances, even those that operate on the wrong wattage for Europe, are treasure troves for avid recyclers.  All of these items have uses to this community and are (at least initially) recycled.   Some people argue that dumpster diving by the Roma is what causes the majority of the trash problem.  I'm sure it contributes to the problem but it is in no way the major cause since the items they salvage are reused and recycled.

But Roma aren't the only dumpster divers.  My very own neighbors, the same ones who drive their polished Mercedes and think nothing of sweeping their trash onto the street, are quick to pick through the small dumpster in front of our house.  Because I know that anything I put out there will quickly be scooped up, I've taken to placing most items I no longer need--wearable but no longer needed clothing, old electronics, chipped dishes, etc on the curb and letting people take what they want.  And things disappear quickly.  Yesterday, in a fit of pre-move purging, we placed armfuls of items on the curb.  Within minutes--literally the time it took for me to walk back inside to return with more things-- they were scooped up.  Even the broken tiki torches and the case of long expired fruit juice disappeared in mere seconds.  This, my friends, is recycling in its purest form.  Now if only there was a way to get these very same people to not drop their cigarette butts and empty candy wrappers on the ground.

Litter Patrol



Part of the area we cleaned up

 Albania has a trash problem.  While this problem is not unique to Albania it is intensified in a country that is so small. You only have to walk or drive down the street to see trash- whether it be household garbage, construction refuse, or cigarette butts, plastic shopping bags, and empty Chipsy containers littering the sides of the roads.  Many locals blame the Roma for "dumpster diving" but the litter extends far beyond the range of the scant number of available dumpsters.  I've heard others blame Italy for all of the trash that washes onto Albania's shores.  (During a trip to Croatia a local blamed Albania for the trash on Croatia's shores).  The option to recycle is another questionable concept here.  When I ask I am told that yes we can but further probing as to what is and isn't recyclable only leaves more questions unanswered.

Litter is a problem on both a micro and macro level.  In our neighborhood alone private citizens are forced to tote their bags of trash up to the main street. For some people this often means carrying your trash for a kilometer or more before coming to a dumpster. It is no wonder that many people dump their trash at the end of our street (and the former location of the neighborhood dumpsters).  The dumpsters were moved farther away from our neighborhood last year after complaints that they were unsightly.  Somehow I would argue that the never ending heap of trash that has taken the place of the dumpsters is even more unsightly.  When branching out into the more heavily pedestrian travelled areas of Tirana (and other Albanian cities) trash receptacles for food wrappers, empty soda cans, and the like are virtually impossible to find. On the rare occasions I have been able to find one it has been so overflowing that I opt to continue to carry my empty container with me to dispose of later. Unfortunately as evidenced by the piles of trash next to the cans, I am in the minority on this.  We've been in places that I consider totally off the beaten path- whether on foot on a hiking trail or on a dirt road that necessitates a 4 x 4 vehicle- and we've come across piles of construction debris or household garbage.  Really people? It obviously took a lot of effort to access these areas and yet you still chose to tote your trash all  the way out here?  On a larger, and perhaps even more disturbing level, roadside ditches, riverbeds, and fields are often overflowing with heaps of trash.  I remember the horror and disappointment I felt on my first drive from the airport when I looked down off of a bridge and into the river below. Instead of seeing water I saw mounds of decaying plastic bags.  All too often I see entire dump trucks emptying entire loads into the rivers and road sides.  I've developed the mantra that in order to enjoy the beauty of Albania I must only look at the horizon and never look down since doing so will more often than not, bring about disappointment.


A cool view (and I managed to crop out the view of the trash)

Trash dumped into Albania's inland waterways doesn't stay there. It flows down the rivers and into the Adriatic Ocean where it pollutes the water, poisons the fish and aqua eco-system, and degrades the otherwise beautiful coastline.  As I mentioned, trash isn't a problem unique to Albania.  In as such, the Ocean Conservancy sponsors an International Coast Clean Up effort every September and this past weekend a group of us from the Embassy volunteered to do our parts to clean up the Albanian coastline.  Tagging onto an effort by a group of local environmentalists who are making a concerted effort to keep the area clean, we headed out to nearby Cape Rodon to spend the day cleaning the shore.

I had never been to Cape Rodon but I was immediately struck by its natural beauty.  Located on a bunker filled tip of peninsula north of Durres, the isolated area is home to the ruins of the Rodon Castle and a tiny, but still active Saint Anthony's Church.  The castle, dating back to 1450 was a part of Skenderbeu's countrywide fortress system.  Today it is but a shadow of its former self with a few remaining walls jutting out into the Adriatic.  Sadly, the amount of trash, mostly plastic bottles but also Styrofoam, plastic bags, and glass shards almost obliterates the area's beauty.  Our group spent several hours filling countless bags with the debris surrounding the castle ruins yet our efforts hardly put a dent in the mass of litter.  The beachfront area near the church fared slightly better.  Perhaps it is because there are fewer rocks and crags for trash to collect in.  Maybe it is because this area is a bit more accessible (we had to hike into the area of the castle and haul all of our collected trash out). For whatever reason this area looked noticeably better because of our efforts.  Of course, with tides carrying a seemingly endless supply of fresh plastic debris towards the beach, I doubt the small area remained clean for long.

Sadly, all of the beach cleaning efforts in the world aren't going to put a stop to the trash problem until the source of the trash is eliminated (And no, the recent proposal to import trash from other countries is not a good idea).  Albanians, and everyone else who is an offender, need to stop dumping trash along roads, waterways, and in any other place it is deemed convenient.  Individuals need to take ownership of their own trash and municipalities and the Government of Albania need to develop measures to properly dispose of their waste.  No matter how much Albania tries to market itself to the rest of the world, if the country is covered in trash, no one will want to come here.



Just because I think this is a pretty scene and speaks to the beauty of Albania