Reduce, Reuse, Recycle…and Reread

Is it a recycling depot with a bookstore out back, or a bookstore where you can recycle up front? It depends on whom you ask. On a sunny Saturday morning in April, I took a container of plastic, cardboard, glass and plastic bottles to the recycling depot west of Ajijic where I met two committed volunteers, Brad Wisniewski, President of the board of Ecología de Ribera Chapala and Colleen Kissinger, who runs the bookstore. They are both passionate about their part of the place.

Brad provided the history of the recycling depot. In the fall of 2018 Tom Thompson, owner of Barbara’s Bazaar, put out a call to “come help” him with his recycling initiative. That weekend eighteen people came out to tackle a pile of rubble, remove trash, and organize the place. Tom is still involved to this day, providing a truck and an employee to collect and remove cardboard.

What used to be called a citizen’s group is now a registered nonprofit organization Ecología de Chapala, A.C., with board of directors (five members) that deals with the many challenges the depot faces. The main one is their building belongs to the municipality of Chapala, but they don’t have a lease. This casual arrangement has led to difficulties with CFE who recently turned off the power. This in turn means that the compacter, a crucial component of recycling, can’t be operated. Brad showed me the large containers of plastic that would be much easier to transport once compacted!

Given the challenges, it’s amazing how much gets done. Out front one paid employee and several volunteers sort and sift. Out back is a mountain of bottles, which are picked up by truck and sold.

The bookstore has a history all its own. Colleen, the longest serving volunteer at the bookstore, said back at the beginning a vehicle pulled up and dropped off thirteen boxes of books. She and Paola de Waterlott were on duty.

“We can’t shred these,” Colleen said. “We’ll have to recycle them. Let’s open a book store.”

Her can-do spirit is still apparent. She described the early days when they turned empty buckets and boards into bookshelves, and spent hours cleaning up.

Colleen and chief librarian, Terry Mysliwy, have created a welcoming atmosphere.

During my interview we were constantly interrupted. First Monika, a dance teacher from Guadalajara, arrived with a box of books in Spanish to donate. Then an eight- year- old little boy in a green volunteer shirt arrived, eager to help out in any way he can. He’s the youngest volunteer, the son of their contractor.

The bookstore has a mascot, Dulce, the black dog from down the road. He knows the bookstore is run by friendly people who have dog treats.

The bookstore boasts 30 genres in 25 bookcases (many donated by Tom Thompson), books in English, Spanish, German, French and Japanese. There are classics and coffee table books, and nothing costs more than 50 pesos. It’s impressive. On the bulletin board are photos of the bird’s nest they found in the rafters – first with eggs, then with hatchlings. Like the recycling operation, the bookstore couldn’t function without a group of highly dedicated volunteers. It is amazing to realize that all these books on display were donated by generous residents of lakeside and sorted and shelved by book lovers prepared to give their time and energy to the place.

The biggest challenge is getting the word out that the bookstore exists.

It’s not hard to find. Drive through Ajijic, past what was once Le Pueblita, (now another business) and when you see the replica of a lighthouse on your right, you take the next turn off the highway. You can drop off your recyclables at the front of the depot, park your car, and head down the path to the back of the building where you’ll find the bookstore. The hours are Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. till 2:00 p.m. You can donate books, buy books and even pull up a chair and read books. If you go on a Saturday you might be offered a home baked goodie. I noticed a coffee pot, too, unfortunately not operating at the moment due to the current issue with CFE.

The recycling center needs people to sift and sort items. Hours are flexible. The bookstore needs people to sort, shelve and sell books in two shifts – 9:00 to 11:30 or 11:30 to 2:00. Why not volunteer at one or the other? And remember, you can also reduce, reuse, recycle…and reread.