Panama Forum

Hugemeister
Joined 2014
Posts: 50

7 years ago

Garbage

7 years ago

Back last week from latest trip to Panama.
Still not sure if it is for me? One of the biggest 'head scratcher' WTF things I can never reconcile is the garbage! So disheartening to be walking around a literal paradise of plants, trees and country and the cultural don't give a f*ck attitude on the trash?
On one level it brings out a bad side of me that looks at another person as an animal....worse....not even animals would soil and pollute their environment with its own waste (unless confined and kept in an artificial environment like a pen, cage or corral by man....)
I see families hanging out on porch of homes with a literal dumpster of rubbish all over before them and it appears even the thought or concept of cleaning it up just never enters their minds.
It has literally become THE sticking point in my last step towards Panama. Aside from isolating myself behind a wall in a gringo expat community (which I do not want to do and is an unacceptable way to live for me) I can't see a way around it...

My central and south American experience is limited to Panama and Mexico (yes I know technically N.A.)...

So question for forum is; is there places in C.America or S. America who for God's sake have a western standard of trash collection and a cultural attitude that the litter and garbage is unacceptable and infrastructure and services to do something about it?

Part of me loves Panama, but it is a simple disgrace how the land is treated. Same for my experiences in Mexico...

USA has its own grocery list of issues...bit in general one thing we do well is for the most part pick up our trash. Culturally it is considered unacceptable and we have regulation and services to deal with it. Does this standard exist ANYWHERE south of us? And WITHOUT being forced to live in some behind a wall expat HOA regulated gringo xenophobic community?

Thanks!

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