One woman’s trash…

I remember being taught, when I was a teenager, to “reduce, reuse, recycle” and “waste not, want not”. I’ve never forgotten those principles. Whilst grocery shopping is far more limited in PNG and there is little opportunity to choose a more eco-friendly product off the shelves, I still try to be as responsible and globally-minded as practical in my shopping.

This includes buying sugar in paper bags instead of plastic, as burning paper is not as bad for the environment. And choosing washing up liquid bottles with screw-lids, instead of moulded ones, so they can be easily washed out once the washing up liquid is finished. The only recycling I have seen in Mt Hagen or Telefomin is for soda cans, and we don’t buy them very often anyway.

Each time I finish a jar, margarine tub, bottle or container with a re-closable lid, I wash and dry it and store them up. Every few months I take them to my Saturday Ladies’ Fellowship group and give them away. Sometimes I give them to my friends who work at the hospital for them to give the re-useable containers to the patients and their families.

They are so grateful for me giving them my “trash”, which is really humbling. They tell me they use the large bottles to put water in when they are walking to their gardens in the bush, which can be up a day’s walk. The margarine tubs get used to store sugar or salt, to keep ants out. The small herbs & spices jars get used to store sewing needles so they don’t get lost.

Truly, one women’s trash is another woman’s treasure!

My friend Mandy sent me some of her empty yogurt pots and butter tubs to add to the collection. The big tubs were snatched up with enthusiasm!

The ladies share the tubs around so everyone gets a few, and sometimes they even ask if they can take extras home for their friends or neighbours.