We have a big (95 gallon) recycling container with a yellow lid that gets picked up biweekly and all of it goes into a separate but seemingly identical garbage truck like the one that picks up our general trash.
I posted the acceptable recycling a few days ago but I have no idea what happens to our recycling after it goes in the truck. Does someone sort out the prohibited stuff like glass bottles? Highly doubtful. Something tells me this -- and all recycling other than at sorted before dumping sites like the county dump with cardboard bins (for example) -- is a charade.
-- Chuck
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2006 Roo 23SS behind a 2017 Ford Expedition
I don't think I've ever seen a campground with anything besides a few dumpsters for garbage.
It's a good thought but based on what I've seen people throw in the dumpsters I imagine that any sort kf recycling bins would be more trouble than what they are worth.
They'd be full of non-recyclable garbage in a weekend.
Our favorite State Park had dumpsters for garbage and dumpsters for recycling. The problem is people don't pay attention and were throwing their garbage bags into the recycling bins. So this year the campground only has dumpsters. This is the one of the main reasons recycling is never going to take hold. Truth be told a very high percentage of the items that do get recycled end up going to the landfill anyway. The recycling centers process the recycle material and then try and sell it. The problem is there just isn't a market for much of that material and they can only warehouse it for so long before they haul it to the land fill. That's the ugly truth.
Recycling these days is a big joke. The cost of having it picked up, sorted, loaded, then hauled to the actual recycle facility make it cost prohibitive. Glass isn't even wanted anymore. It's cheaper to manufacture "new" glass. Even china doesn't want recycled glass anymore. I remember decades ago at NAS Adak out in the Aleutians, the SeaBees would accept glass from housing areas, throw it in the crusher, and use it in a bituminous mixture to pave roads.
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'07 K3500 Silverado LT Crew Duramax (LBZ)
2016 Salem 27RKSS
1984 CHEV SCOTTSDALE K20 2GCGK24J0E1XXXXXX (Chevrolet Legends-Class of 2019) "...exhaust fluid? We don't need no stinkin' exhaust fluid"
I hope this doesn’t violate the site rules, recycling would work if government gave more incentives. I wish this wasn’t the case, I believe the same thing when it comes to normal waste disposal as well. The easier and more incentivized the process for any waste disposal the less people will just dump the waste on rural roads or anywhere they can dump for “ free “ My local dump I get one free truck bed full a month. Once I enter it’s not back up dump here for this dump there for that. Nope everything not metal or concrete goes in a dumpster, even standing in my truck bed the dumpster wall is still taller than me (5’10) so everything is overhead. It’s a super hassle and dirty. I imagine next two to three years I will be replacing my sofa, it’s a heavy sucker, will barely be able to load into truck won’t be able to reach container if I rent a trl. Might be why I see so much furniture on side roads. Infuriating to see but it is more expensive and a bigger problem to take to dump. So not surprised
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.
Right. I remember growing up, 60's &70's the only bottler water found in the grocery store was a gallon of distilled water, usually merchandised on the household aisle. Folks used it in their irons. I don't recall convenience stores back then having bottled water. We got our water out of the tab. At football practice we lined up to drink water out of the same water hose. The good ole days.
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I wished I’d gone camping sooner in life.
We have a big (95 gallon) recycling container with a yellow lid that gets picked up biweekly and all of it goes into a separate but seemingly identical garbage truck like the one that picks up our general trash.
I posted the acceptable recycling a few days ago but I have no idea what happens to our recycling after it goes in the truck. Does someone sort out the prohibited stuff like glass bottles? Highly doubtful. Something tells me this -- and all recycling other than at sorted before dumping sites like the county dump with cardboard bins (for example) -- is a charade.
-- Chuck
I promise you the county I live in does exactly that. The recycled bins that done folks use goes to the same place as the trash trucks. But folks feel good that they did their part.
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I wished I’d gone camping sooner in life.
From doing research I have learned that it is much more expensive to recycle than make products from new materials. If it were cheaper to use recycled materials then all of the major companies would be doing it on a grand scale. I do think it is a good thing to recycle.
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Beasty: 2019 RAM 3500 Laramie SRW SB 4x4
6.7L I6 Cummins HO Turbo Diesel
Aisin AS69RC HD Trans
I promise you the county I live in does exactly that. The recycled bins that done folks use goes to the same place as the trash trucks. But folks feel good that they did their part.
Same here in my municipality. Only about 40% gets recycled. The rest goes to the landfill because of labor costs (see Post #64).
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'07 K3500 Silverado LT Crew Duramax (LBZ)
2016 Salem 27RKSS
1984 CHEV SCOTTSDALE K20 2GCGK24J0E1XXXXXX (Chevrolet Legends-Class of 2019) "...exhaust fluid? We don't need no stinkin' exhaust fluid"
I’ve seen a few national parks offer recycling. I know the state parks we’ve been to do not.
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Past Tow vehicle but still own: 2017 Ford Expedition XLT EL factory tow package. Added towing mirrors, 10 ply tires on separate rims, sumo springs, larger rear sway bar.
Current tow vehicle: 2020 Ford F350 Lariat supercab
4x4. 7.3 gas. 4,400+lb payload capacity.
2021 Cherokee Greywolf 23MK
Equalizer 1,000lb WDH
It cost too much to recycle. Austin, TX has mountains each of paper, aluminum, plastic,ect...... There are roaches & rats running to place. They can't get rid of all the "recycled" stuff. I have heard of places giving up on the project.
I note that some on here claim that the cost of recycling ’is not worth it’. They’re surely missing the point. It seems they’re only considering the monetary cost; the cost to us all and our oceans is widely accepted to be be much more important than monetary. If monetary subsidies are not implemented to keep plastics, glass etc out of the landfill we’re short sightedly leaving a disgusting legacy for coming generations. Subsidies where necessary are an investment for our children and grandchildren.
I note that some on here claim that the cost of recycling ’is not worth it’. They’re surely missing the point. It seems they’re only considering the monetary cost; the cost to us all and our oceans is widely accepted to be be much more important than monetary. If monetary subsidies are not implemented to keep plastics, glass etc out of the landfill we’re short sightedly leaving a disgusting legacy for coming generations. Subsidies where necessary are an investment for our children and grandchildren.
Very well said. Monetary subsidies (and leadership) are unfortunately needed in many areas of environmental conservation because otherwise the shortsighted, selfish, greedy, or lazy habits of most humans will prevail.
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2020 Sunseeker 2440DS on 2019 Ford E-450, Trekker cap, Topaz paint
We have a big (95 gallon) recycling container with a yellow lid that gets picked up biweekly and all of it goes into a separate but seemingly identical garbage truck like the one that picks up our general trash.
I posted the acceptable recycling a few days ago but I have no idea what happens to our recycling after it goes in the truck. Does someone sort out the prohibited stuff like glass bottles? Highly doubtful. Something tells me this -- and all recycling other than at sorted before dumping sites like the county dump with cardboard bins (for example) -- is a charade.
-- Chuck
Not a charade. We have the same bin. See the attachments.
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Larry
"Everybody's RV is not like your RV."
"Always take pictures with the button on the right."
"Always bypass the water heater before opening the low-point drains."
Sticks and Bricks: Raleigh, NC
2008 Cherokee 38P: at Ivor, VA permanently
Did run into couple of campground that have recycle containers. It is sad that most of the owners doesn't have recycle set up. With the numbers of campers all over the USA recycle stuff going to the trash. That is a huge numbers. I am sure like you there are lots of campers do bring the recycle back home which I do.
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.
I'd fully agree with your final statement if reworded: The states that don't require recycling are doing their citizens a favor.
As a general rule, if something isn't economically profitable, then it probably isn't materially beneficial. There are certain exceptions, of course, where the costs and benefits don't closely interact, but when it comes to trash, for most items, landfills are the best way to handle things.
On the other hand, for many people it isn't the material benefit that counts, but the spiritual, religious, or ideological feeling that benefits. For example, they feel like they're "doing good" to "save the planet", or somesuch. (For some, an additional benefit is using the power of the city to force other people--who don't have that feeling--into behaving in a way that they believe is "doing good".)
Our city collects cardboard (usually profitable), metals (usually profitable), and plastics (usually not profitable), but not glass (usually not profitable). We personally take our aluminum and other metals to a private recycle center that pays. However, we do recycle a lot of cardboard and plastic with the city. I admit to wondering if we should still do plastic: the landfill is probably more economical for the city--and probably more environmentally friendly when the rinsing/cleaning cost is included.
All recycling requires a firm ‘buy in’ from the public. Without that it’ll never work. In the absence of that, enforcement will eventually have to be the answer. Many don’t like wearing seat belts; some like to drink and drive etc. enforcement is eventually acceptable, but only when the dire effects of the problem are driven home. It usually eventually becomes necessary to protect the unwilling from themselves!
All recycling requires a firm ‘buy in’ from the public. Without that it’ll never work. In the absence of that, enforcement will eventually have to be the answer. Many don’t like wearing seat belts; some like to drink and drive etc. enforcement is eventually acceptable, but only when the dire effects of the problem are driven home. It usually eventually becomes necessary to protect the unwilling from themselves!
If there is no market or it costs to much to transport
Even the best recycle system will fail.
Recycling is another industry ... NOT IN MY BACKYARD
ship it to some poor 3rd world place
Better to produce stuff that lasts longer.
No single use plastics
cardboard instead of plastic packaging
Develop LOCAL industries that can process stuff like:
glass can be used for some sands and aggregates
small foundries that can produce local cast aluminum outdoor furniture, gates etc which don't require the strict quality measures for technical stuff
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Tarpon Springs FL
2022 Salem 24RLXL
All recycling requires a firm ‘buy in’ from the public. Without that it’ll never work. In the absence of that, enforcement will eventually have to be the answer. Many don’t like wearing seat belts; some like to drink and drive etc. enforcement is eventually acceptable, but only when the dire effects of the problem are driven home. It usually eventually becomes necessary to protect the unwilling from themselves!
Agreed on "buy in" required, but disagree on the "from whom" aspect. I would prefer to be protected from someone who thinks "it's the right thing for me" and so wants to force everyone to do what they do and value.
To expand on my earlier post, sometimes recycling is a good idea, while sometimes it is not. The "what", "where", "why", and "how much" really make a difference in the "by whom". And, of course, there is a very big difference between driving drunk and not recycling! :-)
For over a decade now, our local solution has been to get rid of end-user level recycling/pickup and adopt the "one big bin" concept. Anything you're not personally recycling through other means, you just discard in your "one big bin" trash can for pickup. It all winds up on conveyor belts, with automated and manual sorting at what used to be called the dump, now called the MURF: Materials Utilization and Recycling Facility.
Saving money and better compliance/reclaimation rate. When we were sorting at the end-user level they had the same number of employees having to check through it all and not being able to reclaim anything that didn't go into the recycling bins. Now audits have shown this system to be much better at recycling/re-use goals.
Definitely push for less plastics. Glass is easily and infinitely recyclable with near zero environmental impact in its production other than the heat required. And glass production is much simpler utilizing recycled glass.
Paper and cardboard are also easy to recycle, I have many neighbors now using discarded cardboard in their yards for a weed barrier, sometimes under other mulch and sometimes not.
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