In my teenage years, as the high school president of the Ecology Club, sustainability has always been close to my heart. Over the years living in Canada, recycling evolved to be as quick and easy as putting out your trash for collection…except you used the blue bin. Upon moving to Panama it became clear that recycling was not high on the list for the municipalities and it literally hurt to throw away glass, plastic and cardboard. Someone once told me just close your eyes and throw it away.
Now in 2025, in a little city called Boquete (Panama)…things are improving by leaps and bounds on the recycling front. Over the years, with each change of the administration, Boquete has had various recycling programs but the items were very limited due to no buyers and other issues. They even tried metal recycling bins for the public to deposit the materials, but the receptacles just ended up being used as smelly trash cans.
The current administration in cooperation with ACAB (Asociacion Comunitaria Ambiental) has authorized the use of the former slaughterhouse building in Alto Boquete for the collection of recyclable materials every Thursday from the population. Super friendly folks are there to help you unload your car, and everything is stacked very neatly. They currently have a machine that will crush cardboard and plastic bottles into large square stacks in preparation for the buyers. They have a goal of purchasing a glass crushing machine for all the bottles piled up outback…but sadly are lacking funds.
Here is the List of all the Materials that they will Accept
(Please be kind and clean all containers and bottles, and it only takes you a few minutes to sort at home.)
Plastics (they will accept any recycling code number on the bottom of the plastic)
Plastic and metal lids (from bottles or jars)
Cardboard (please no pizza boxes)
White and colored paper (please separate)
Bottles of love (more on this to follow)
Aluminum and tin cans
Glass (but not broken glass, or porcelain (dishes, cups etc)
What is a bottle of love you ask and how do you make one?? Find any plastic bottle with a lid (water, soda, juice, etc) and fill it to the brim with single use plastic wrappers, bags, toothbrushes and plastic utensils. Just ate a candy bar, save the wrapper for your love bottle. Used food plastic wrap (clean), stuff it in the bottle. After unwrapping a puzzle box or game covered in plastic wrap, in the bottle it goes. Changed out your toothbrush, squeeze it in the bottle. You get the idea. Screw the lid on the bottle and you are done. These bottles will be used for various projects including building playgrounds for public schools.
Let's all do our part to help improve our environment, protect the soil for agriculture and teach our young children or grandchildren about sustainability.
Here are the instructions to the drop off location from downtown Boquete. Driving to Alto Boquete, just past CEFATI at the top of the hill, take the first left hand turn. You can see the building from the road. From Alto Boquete…head to CEFATI and take the last right turn. Every Thursday from 8am to noon.
ROOFLEAKING? TAPS DRIPPING? DRIVEWAY DAMAGED? HOUSE NEEDS PAINTING?
Who are you going to call?
Jose José?? Whatsapp. 6641-9571
Honest, reliable, capable, comes on time, does what he says, cleans up when he finishes.
Have you needed a smart, reliable handyman who can do everything well? I saw an ad on Boquete News about Jose Vejarano and I thought I'd give him a try. I have been fighting a roof leak for 8 years and paid at least 4 people to repair it.
Jose came out, assessed the problem ( a very complex set of multilevel roofs with complex drainage ). It took several days because he wanted to solve the problem for all time. His rates are very reasonable and the quality of his work is superb. He's not just a roofer, but can tackle any repair around the house.
Contact him by Whatsapp at 6641-9571.
5 STARS!!! Doug Johnson/ Palo Alto.
Hey everyone. If anyone is looking for someone to repair a roof, or a general handyman, I highly recommend Jose Vejarano. Jose is punctual, highly skilled, safety conscious, and cleans up afterwards. I believe he can do most jobs except electrical.
I had water leaking inside my house and Jose found the hole causing the leak, but also found other problems with my old roof. He also cleaned out my gutters which were a mess, and made some repairs to the drains around the carport.
Panama is a very small country and seemingly insignificant player in global coffee, exporting less than one percent of the world's beans. Up until the 1990s no one even knew that Panama grew coffee. Yet in the past two decades, Panamanian coffee has broken every public auction price record, starred consistently in international competition wins, and is now the most sought-after bean in the world. Panama has accomplished this against a decades-long backdrop of international coffee prices hovering around $1 a pound, a price that forces many producing families into lives of extreme hardship. Higher Grounds tells the story of how Panama is reimagining coffee, and driving new standards for both quality and economics. The film explores variety, farming practice, and processing innovation—notions traditionally associated only with winemaking—and shows how through collaborative competition, the Panamanian growers are banding together to raise the bar for coffee worldwide. Featuring interviews with award-winning coffee producers in Panama and global coffee celebrities, as well as stunning footage of Panama's breathtaking highlands, Higher Grounds concludes with a hard look at the sustainability of specialty coffee, the implications for developing-region producers, and how Panama offers a model for the rest of the world.
Fifteen years ago, the Fundación Biblioteca de Boquete, with donations from Susan and Price Peterson and others, purchased a large tract of land by the Caldera River with one purpose in mind—to benefit Boquete. Thanks to their vision and generosity, today we all enjoy the green, welcoming space that is Parque Biblioteca Boquete.
This summer, Susan and Price are celebrating a wonderful milestone—their 60th wedding anniversary. In true Peterson fashion, they've asked for no presents. But we think there's a perfect way to honor them: let's show our gratitude for the park they made possible.
We invite you to make a gift in their honor—$1 or more for each of their 60 years together.
$1 per year = $60
$2 per year = $120
$5 per year = $300
$10 per year = $600
$15 per year = $900
Consider making it a recurring gift
Your donation will help us continue to care for and improve this special space that brings joy to so many.
Let's come together to say "Thank you, Susan and Price. Your gift has made a lasting difference." Yours can too.
Hace quince años, la Fundación Biblioteca de Boquete, con donaciones de Susan y Price Peterson y de otros, compró un gran terreno junto al río Caldera con un solo propósito: beneficiar a Boquete. Gracias a su visión y generosidad, hoy todos disfrutamos del espacio verde y acogedor que es el Parque Biblioteca BoqueteEste verano, Susan y Price están celebrando un hito maravilloso: 60 años de matrimonio.
Fieles a su estilo, han pedido que no se les den regalos. Pero creemos que hay una forma perfecta de honrarlos: mostremos nuestra gratitud por el parque que ellos hicieron posible.
Te invitamos a hacer un donativo en su honor —$1 o más por cada uno de sus 60 años juntos.
$1 por año = $60
$2 por año = $120
$5 por año = $300
$10 por año = $600
$15 por año = $900
Considera hacer tu donación de forma recurrente.
Tu aporte nos ayudará a seguir cuidando y mejorando este espacio especial que da alegría a tantas personas.
Unámonos para decir: "Gracias, Susan y Price. Su regalo ha marcado una diferencia duradera." El tuyo también puede hacerlo.
🎉 Bingo for a Purpose – Second Edition 🎉 A unique blend of American and Panamanian-style bingo — with fewer breaks and a smoother flow to keep the fun going! Just 4 quick pauses for special rounds (5, 10, 15, 20).
🌍 A fun and meaningful event where expat and Panamanian communities come together for a noble cause.
📍 Animales Building 📅 Sunday, August 24th 🕛 Doors open at 12 PM | Bingo starts at 1 PM sharp 🍽️ Delicious food available for purchase!
