Little things, big things

This is a little thing I do to protect the environment in the Third World. Whenever I am throwing away a plastic bottle in the garbage, I always take the cover off. On the islands we have no re-cycling laws or practices. All garbage is put into one bag and disposed at the city dump. The beer company has a recycling system for their beer bottles, but that's the extent of re-cycling.

So, by taking the cover off I ensure that the plastic bottle will fill with earth or water and sink. It won't remain on the surface of the ocean, should it be washed out to sea, and it won't take up valuable cubic space in the dump, as it might be filled with some earth before its buried.

Sad, eh? But I wonder if a floating bottle is better than one that has drowned. At least the floating bottle will eventually wash up on a shore, and has a better chance of being dealt with on land than if it lay motionless on the seabed.

Questions. Questions.