Recycling at campgrounds

[pd2436]

Missouri campgrounds place mesh bags at every campsite for aluminum and plastics, They pick up every couple of days. They use the money for park improvements. We’re using the bags this week.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dan

From my experience, most campgrounds DO NOT have “recyling bins for aluminum, and bottles” or any other material.

The campground where the Cherokee 38P is sited has bins for paper, aluminum cans, plastic, glass, and cooking oil. The county "convenience center" is less than two miles away and accepts those things as well as vegetative matter, electronics, large appliances, and a few other classifications.

[RV_Lee]

Originally Posted by Homer Vista

We are avid recyclers. What's is very disturbing is that, in 2023, we can go to space and Mars and develop AI, but only 9% of all plastic gets recycled... the other 91% winds up in a landfill. Here in Phoenix they stopped taking glass "because there's no market for it"; iow, no profit. It's all about the Benjamins...

Its cheaper for them to make new stuff than to deal with dirty plastic garbage, which is exactly what most of it is. Asia, who buys it, only wants "high grade" glass and aluminum, the rest ends up in a land fill.


Recycling is a farce. Focus on the other 2 R's, Reduce and Reuse.

[Smokewagonokc]

You dont see it because it’s a joke. It goes right to the same dump the rest of your trash goes to. So save your self some time and throw it all in the dumpster.

[gw1800]

Originally Posted by Reverse_snowbird

We've asked in several campgrounds and the answer is always the same. Recycling centers don't exist in their part of the country.

We have found them in some eastern campgrounds and they're usually accompanied by a sign saying that pizza boxes are not recycleable.

The most valuable recycleable is probably aluminum cans and we put them in a plastic bag to take home. If we get too many, we squash them to make more room.

Most campgrounds are situated in rural or semi-rural locations. recycling is cost prohibitive in these places.
I have seen recycling containers in some nearly empty. People are too lazy to separate their trash.

[DavidWJ]

Recycling is just a game to make the government money. Call it an extra add-on "feel-good" tax if you like.



Where I live, we pay a tax for each aluminum can we buy. We can turn in aluminum cans for a few cents per pound, which "they" turn around and sell for a profit. The government also requires that some places separate all trash into separate bins, or a fine is incurred. None of that stuff is recycled, it's just thrown into the landfill.


There are companies that separate trash into sellable products, of course they have to pay the state for the opportunity.



The states that don't bother recycling are doing their citizens a favor.

[Doc Burry]

We gave up recycling after visiting end sites and they do very little actual good. These people who are so worried about it, should just have nice big plastic bags and take it home with them, to their favorite recycle spot.

[The Newsoms]

One thing that bothers me are campers with 100 bottles of water. We use a Britta filter and refillable bottles. Rather than depend on recycling, try to reduce usage.

[Traveling Circus]

Originally Posted by The Newsoms

One thing that bothers me are campers with 100 bottles of water. We use a Britta filter and refillable bottles. Rather than depend on recycling, try to reduce usage.

We all have different values.

[The Newsoms]

Originally Posted by Traveling Circus

We all have different values.

And?

[suzieshome]

Where I live, recycling is a huge thing. We also have a separate bin, provided by the city, for food waste. It gets turned into compost by the city and they give it away. The provincial parks also have separate bins for recycling.

[gw1800]

Originally Posted by suzieshome

Where I live, recycling is a huge thing. We also have a separate bin, provided by the city, for food waste. It gets turned into compost by the city and they give it away. The provincial parks also have separate bins for recycling.

We have recycling bins for plastic and paper. No need to separate.
Our township also collects leaves in large brown paper bags that they mulch and give as away compost free to residents. It reduces our trash bills since it doesn't go into the landfill.

The problem we have here is people who are too lazy to separate the trash from the recyclables. One neighbor has never put out a recycling container. Says he's paying for trash pickup and can't be bothered.

[Trasher74]

Unfortunately, it only takes one person to dump a tub of two-day old potato salad into the recycle bin, and it becomes one more garbage can for the refuse collectors to empty.

[Baumeister]

I know its a hard habit to break, but more and more jurisdictions are moving to separate recyclables AFTER collection to ensure they meet mandated recyclable percentages.
Here in California, more and more counties are progressing to the "One Big Bin" concept. We've had it for maybe a dozen years now. They picked up our separate recycling bins for the last time and ask that everything (besides green waste) now go in the "One Big Bin". It all first goes through mechanical and manual separation.
It was a hard shift throwing that stuff in the 'regular' trash again!
Our kids have toured the facilities with their schools, it is an amazing process that diverts more from landfills at a lesser cost.

[gw1800]

Originally Posted by Trasher74

Unfortunately, it only takes one person to dump a tub of two-day old potato salad into the recycle bin, and it becomes one more garbage can for the refuse collectors to empty.

Exactly. LAZY PEOPLE.

[Traveling Circus]

Originally Posted by The Newsoms

And?

Meaning, what is important to one, is not important to another, and neither person is right or wrong. I go camping to relax, enjoy time with my family. No, I don't use bottled water. But not for the same reasons as you. And that's okay.
Happy camping.

[J Man]

Originally Posted by Domer1972

We are continually frustrated by the absence of campgrounds that provide recycling of any kind. Out of necessity, we put recyclables (plastic, glass, paper and aluminum) in our tow vehicle to recycle when we return home. This becomes a challenge, especially on long trips. We need to encourage campgrounds to offer this service. Am I missing something?

Not sure where you do most of your camping but in my neck of the woods the Forest Service or BLM has to manage the disposal of trash themselves. They don't have the resources to maintain a recycling program, nor do most of the rural trash services, once you get out of the populated areas.

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by Trasher74

Unfortunately, it only takes one person to dump a tub of two-day old potato salad into the recycle bin, and it becomes one more garbage can for the refuse collectors to empty.

Yep.... wifey is member of local women's club. A nearby church has a aluminum can recycle bin out back for same. We -me and my truck and DW go every so often and get bags of beverage cans out of the bin for transport to local recycler. Yesterday was transport day. All bags MUST be opened and dumped into the roll around 4 by 4 bins to place on the scales. While doing this we encountered a bag of pet food cans that had not even been washed. It was rancid!! That's why all cans MUST be out of the bags.
BTW they won't accept any other aluminum cans. Even washed and de-labeled pet food cans are no-no.

Took an hour at least.
25 mile round trip.
Nasty work.
Netted a measly $35. This was a full PU bed of mostly not crushed beverage cans. I can see why many CGs do not bother.

[GolfingDave]

Originally Posted by Traveling Circus

No, I don't use bottled water. But not for the same reasons as you. And that's okay.
Happy camping.

Me, I am too cheap to pay $$ for something I can get for pennies at home or in the camper.
Full time camping I can go six months using full house filters, while still in a house I would change out my filters once a year.

[BehindBars]

Originally Posted by GolfingDave

Me, I am too cheap to pay $$ for something I can get for pennies at home or in the camper.
Full time camping I can go six months using full house filters, while still in a house I would change out my filters once a year.

If I had been told 50 or 55 years ago that someday you could sell people plain old water in a plastic bottle, I never would have believed it. And that the plastic bottle would be used once and simply discarded is almost as crazy.