Pack it out.

Coming back from the mobile clinic, I look out the window at the dry river beds.  I am not sure why it is no longer filled with water but I can see it is filling up fast with plastic water bottles and garbage. The people of LaGonave do not drink water in water bottles so it is volunteers, like me.  We are filling the river with clear water and soda bottles.

Every other volunteer house I ever worked with bought large, recyclable bottles and people filled water bottles but we have a large, never ending source of water bottles.

My suggestion; bring you own refillable bottles and pack out any snack paper you bring.   I remember walking on a beach in Haiti and there was all this garbage and the man was complaining.  I asked why they just din't pick it up and he said, "But it isn't our garbage."  I looked around and knew he was right.  

I just got back from Haiti where I left many non biodegradable bottles in their waterways and countryside.  My joints may hurt form the mosquito bite but this hurts more.  Ouch.  A painful realization.

A few hours of plastic bottles and snack wrappers