Letter from Brazil: little thing, big differenceIn a city grey of concrete a green garbage bag is most welcome

In the overpopulated concrete jungle that is São Paulo, traffic is omnipresent and hectic and nature virtually non-existent. Anything that brings some peace of mind in this chaos is more than welcome.

In 2013 the local authorities decided to ban outdoor advertising in the city. That helps, considering that with screaming advertising billboards everywhere the urban cacophony would be complete. Great decision. Other cities should follow this example.

But even the tiniest of things can help. In São Paulo my attention was attracted by refuse bags with a green leaf print. Every day the garbage is put on the sidewalk here, and that’s a lot in a mega city like this. It makes a difference if the refuse bags are just plain grey, yellow or white, or decorated with green leafs.

Such a tiny intervention can make a big difference for the townscape. Every morning again.