Despite — and perhaps because of — the insufficiency of recycling programs in greater Guadalajara, many conscientious people are engaged in their own, sometimes surprising, efforts to protect the environment.
Fernando Ortiz, Education Director of CasaCem, which offers public ecological and recycling programs, mentioned styrofoam as an example of a dangerous product he personally avoids.
“It’s a waste issue as well as a health issue,” he says, explaining that styrofoam, or polystyrene, is generally not recyclable and that cancer researchers call it a probable carcinogen. So, since styrofoam is commonly used for coffee cups and disposable plates, not using it can have a big effect.
“If a restaurant uses styrofoam, don’t go there. Or bring your own Tupperware,” he said, adding that “Tupperware and similar products use number 5 plastic — ‘P.P.’ or polypropylene — which is the best kind to be in contact with food. Conscientious producers use number 5. And that’s another thing I do to pressure businesses not to use bad plastic. Check the bottoms of containers and only buy food in number 5.”
Claudia Grossi, who handles community relations at the American School in Guadalajara, seems to be on the same wavelength. Not only does she support the school’s robust ecological and recycling program — disposable plastic water bottles are absolutely forbidden here and our cafeterias don’t use disposable dishes,” she notes — she takes her own Tupperware container when she buys food from a stand.
Jose Luis Montañez, who has two children attending the American School, says his family’s buying habits have been affected by the school’s strict rules. His tip: “They don’t allow any single-use plastic at the school, and my children can’t take juice or milk in plastic bottles, so we don’t buy that type of thing.”
Besides taking a bicycle to work instead of his car, Robert Sorensen, a school director of studies, implements other campaigns to improve the environment.
“I collect plastic soda bottles, squash them and stick them in a clear bag and put them out by the trash. I see the people who have recycling businesses stop and pick them up.
“I don’t waste any water at home,” Sorensen added, explaining that he waters plants on his terrace with “used” kitchen water and even with the first few seconds of shower water, before it gets hot, which he collects in a pail.
English teacher Paola Alvarez can tick off many eco-friendly tips, but one of her favorites draws on her artistic talent: “I shred used paper — it can be any type, including newspaper — and mix it with water in a blender and make things out of it. It’s like ‘clay.’
“Don’t use too much water,” she cautions. For making paper for Christmas cards or love letters, she pours the mixture into a rectangular wire colander, lets it dry in the sun, then peels the paper off the colander. Her favorite creations are masks and hearts, which she paints after the “clay” dries. She also uses it to make sculptures.
Wine expert and Colonia Chapalita resident Sven Clyde says he is not an “environmental jihadist” but fully supports government measures to improve environmental sustainability. He insists house mates toe the line on trash separation and avoids disposable dishes. “I never dispose of the plastic containers for crema or requeson that I buy at the tianguis. I wash and re-use them the next time I go. If you do this, you avoid increasing the planet’s garbage and having to recycle.”
The Rev. Dr. Jim Priddy of St. Mark;s Anglican is doing his bit to stem global warming. “My wife Sue and I decided on a small SUV that gets good gas mileage, rather than something like a Dodge Ram,” he noted.
Alfredo Saras, owner of Rojo Cafe in Guadalajara, has found a practical, money-saving method for converting wine bottles into drinking glasses, which he uses to serve beverages to audiences at theatrical and musical productions at his popular venue. Saras bought a device called Kinkajou (available for about US$50) and uses it to score and decapitate bottles, a process that takes about a minute. He then sands the cut edges to make them safe for drinking.
Alex Worthington learned some surprising eco-friendly techniques in countries where he has lived and traveled, such as the use of geothermal heating and cooling systems in Europe, where pipes are inserted four to six feet into the ground below buildings to take advantage of the constant temperature of the earth during winter and summer.
In the short time the English teacher has been in Guadalajara, he has applied some of the techniques learned elsewhere. “In the States, people can make a living collecting aluminum cans from bars and friends and reselling them. I’ve heard of people earning 800 dollars a month that way. Here, the price you get for metal cans is lower but it’s still feasible.”
Learning about horrific problems in other countries likewise spurred Worthington to action: “Ships are floating off the coast of China with tons of plastic waste ‘imports’ China no longer accepts. So here I don’t buy plastic bottles. Instead I buy glass and my roommates and I recycle it.
“We have a washer and dryer but we sometimes wash our clothes by hand and line-dry them. You can do your own gardening too,” he added. “It’s healthier and cheaper.”
Fouad Lakhdar, owner of the restaurant, Morocco Kebab, is likewise an avid conservationist. “I ride a bicycle to and from work and I influenced our local business group to put a lot of trees along the street here.”
Lakhdar also donates aluminum cans and used cooking oil, both of which pose ecological problems, to an organization that uses them to raise funds for children with cancer. “Their truck comes by to pick up the donations,” he said.
Bruce Newby has been a local driving force for solar energy, outfitting three buildings, including their home, with solar panels that convert sunlight to electricity.
“Solar water heaters are more popular that electricity generators here in Mexico,” he explained, “because the payback period is only 18 months.” (This period is calculated by looking at the money you save and calculating how long it will take for it to equal the cost of the panels.) “Water heaters are cheaper than electricity generators so buying them isn’t so scary. The company that sold and installed our electricity generators said almost all their customers are Americans and Europeans.”
Newby also got solar panels for the American Society of Jalisco and the Salvation Army children’s shelter, two institutions in which he is active.
The panels for his home cost $US7,000 installed. “You need to have electricity bills of at least 2,400 pesos every two months to make the payback point reasonable,” he said, explaining that the company he chose helped him figure out that it would take eight years to reach that point if he bought the cheapest panels. “They’re guaranteed to be working at least at 80 percent after 30 years, so you should get 22 years of free electricity. Right now, my bills are only 25 to 50 pesos a month even though I use a lot of power.”
Newby says he is happy with the Hyundai panels, sold and installed by Solarhouse, the low bid of three companies he tried.
“Financially it’s a good decision, and morally too,” he added.