In celebration of Earth Day, on April 20th, Tzu Chi volunteers participated in an environmental exhibition at Escuela República de Costa Rica. Among the exhibits, Tzu Chi showcased clothing, blankets, and more made from recycled PET bottles using "Da Ai (Great Love) Technology," leaving the children amazed and inspired. (Photo provided by Tzu Chi Foundation; Escuela República de Costa Rica, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic;2023/04/20) 

Students at the Escuela Primaria Republica de Costa Rica in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic were amazed to learn that the clothes on the display table and the aprons worn by the volunteers were made entirely from plastic bottles.

Eco-Friendly Exhibition

The power of goodness needs to grow continuously, and practicing environmental protection is essential. Tzu Chi volunteers from the Dominican Republic in Central America came to this public school in Santo Domingo, the capital, to promote environmental recycling. The teachers and students were amazed to learn that plastic bottles could be transformed into clothing.

A student said: "Thanks to Tzu Chi's exhibition, students from each class had their eyes opened and saw that PET bottles can be turned into textile products."

After the promotion of environmental protection, it was heartwarming to see that almost every household had filled plastic bags with recyclable materials. (Photo provided by Tzu Chi Foundation; Los Rios, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic;2022/11/28) 

However, if PET bottles flow into the drainage system and cause blockages, it can lead to disasters. In early November 2022, residents experienced this and held a community cleaning campaign. Over six months later, an environmental protection exhibition was organized at Escuela Primaria Republica de Costa Rica, and Tzu Chi volunteers specifically came to promote ways of protecting the environment.

One volunteer said: "This environmental recycling program can help reduce disasters in the riverside area because there are many large drainage channels, and people tend to throw their garbage (PET bottles) into the drains, causing pollution."

Recycling Station

A recycling station has been set up at the entrance of the Escuela Primaria Republica de Costa Rica, allowing students to sort resources as the first thing they do when entering the campus.

A teacher from the school said: "Over the past few weeks, we have been encouraging students and parents to bring plastic bottles for recycling when they come to school in the morning."

Volunteer Adriana said: "We see parents bringing their children and bags of recyclables to the school. If we can persist, this project will definitely be more successful."

Students are collecting and sorting PET bottles. (Photo provided by Tzu Chi Foundation; Escuela República de Costa Rica, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic;2023/05/04) 

The students not only brought recyclables from their homes to school but also collected PET bottles within the community. When the volunteer asked the students about their experience with sorting, the students replied: "These are the ones we picked up on the roadside, collecting them as we walked up from the gas station over there."

The income from selling the recyclables will be used as funds for each class. This will further encourage children to take actions that show their love for the Earth.

A Jing Si Aphorism says: “Climate change disasters are already looming, and people's awareness needs to be raised quickly. In our daily lives, every action must be considered in terms of protecting the environment; it is not enough to just have good intentions, we must try to put them into action.”

Join Tzu Chi. Let us put our effort together to love the Earth.

Students (in blue) come to school with bags full of plastic and PET bottles for recycling. Local volunteers wear aprons made from combined snack packaging bags as part of their environmental efforts. (Photo provided by Tzu Chi Foundation; Escuela República de Costa Rica, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic;2023/05/04) 

Story by Yao-lin Zhu from the Dominican Republic