Think about the last thing you threw away. Maybe it was a school bag with a broken zip, a pair of earphones that stopped working, or a T-shirt that no longer fit. Most of us toss items like these without a second thought, and then we buy a replacement. Buy, use, throw away, buy again. The habit is so common that we hardly notice it, yet it comes with a real cost for our wallets and for the environment of Dominica.
A better pattern
There is a name for a smarter way of living with our belongings: the circular economy. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, one of the best-known voices on the subject, explains it through three ideas. Stop waste and pollution from being created in the first place. Keep products and materials in use for as long as possible. And help nature recover. In everyday language, it means treating a broken item as something to fix, share or transform instead of something to throw out.
Why it matters at home
In July 2023, the Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation carried out a waste study at the Fond Cole landfill, its first since 2002. It found that organic waste made up about 29% of what Dominicans throw away, plastics about 24%, and paper and paperboard about 17%. These are the everyday things we buy, wrap, use and discard. Every item we keep in use is one less item heading to the landfill.
Four ways to give things a second life
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Repair it. Sew a torn seam, replace a button, patch a bag or tighten a loose screw. A small repair often takes minutes and can add years to an item.
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Reuse it. Jars, tins and plastic containers make excellent storage. A sturdy bag can carry your shopping many times over.
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Swap or donate it. Clothes, books and uniforms that no longer fit you may be exactly what someone else needs. Swapping with friends is also a fun way to refresh your wardrobe for free.
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Upcycle it. Turn an old T-shirt into a reusable bag or a cleaning cloth, or give an old tin a new life as a pencil holder or a plant pot.
More than saving waste
Repairing and reusing saves money, because you buy fewer replacements. It also builds practical skills and sparks creativity, and it can be shared with the people around you. When you show a classmate how you fixed something, you pass the idea on.
Ask three quick questions
Before anything goes in the bin, pause and ask: Does it still work, or can it be fixed? Could someone else use it? Could I change it into something new? If the answer to any of these is yes, the item has more life left in it. You may be surprised by how often it is.
Part of a bigger movement
Dominica is already working on waste at a national level. In October 2025, the Ministry of Environment, through the Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation and in partnership with UNDP, launched the “Keep Dominica Clean and Green – Sort It at the Source” campaign to make it easier to separate waste where it is created. Government campaigns help, but the biggest changes happen one household at a time, when we decide that something is not rubbish yet.
Your turn.
In the Don’t Toss It. Transform It! challenge, choose one item you already own and give it a second life. Share a before photo, an after photo and the story of what you did in the Eco-Submissions section of the app. Before you throw anything away this week, ask yourself: can I repair it, reuse it, swap it or transform it? One item and one completed change can make a difference.
Complete the Green Genius Trivia in the PDF attached to earn points for the Install & Learn Campaign.
Article By: Mhea Bardouille and Jeovahna Joseph
References:
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (n.d.). Circular economy introduction. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/about-us/ellens-story
Island Innovation. (n.d.). Grenada, Dominica lead charge in OECS waste management transformation. https://www.islandinnovation.com/content/news/grenada-dominica-lead-charge-in-oecs-waste-management-transformation
United Nations Development Programme. (2025). Dominica launches new recycling campaign in partnership with UNDP[Press release]. https://www.undp.org/barbados/press-releases/dominica-launches-new-recycling-campaign-partnership-und
