Poll: Should Launch Organizers Provide Recycling Containers At Launches?

[mkadams001]

After seeing the fuss about the lack of recycling containers at LOC in another thread, I thought it would be interesting to see where we stand with recycling.

This is provided that there is waste removal provided at the launch and not pack in - pack out.

 

[Marc_G]

I voted "yes" but want to qualify my vote as follows:
-Anytime trash service is provided, recycling should be a part of it. It makes no sense to throw good plastic, glass, aluminum, and paper into the garbage. However, depending on the location, separation of recyclables from garbage may be at point of disposal (so, one or more recycling bin(s) next to the trash bin), or might be down stream (mixed trash separated by the trash service into recyclable stuff and true garbage).

It's also a fact that in some cases separate recycling bins may cost substantially more than just a trash can at the site and could be cost-prohibitive for the organization. In this case people should store their recyclables until they can dispose of them freely.

I usually launch with a small club at a park; there is a trash can there but no recycling bin. I put my trash in the trash bin and take my recyclables home to dispose of properly.

 

[tim cubbedge]

I just pack out what I pack in. It's that easy. Besides, one club I fly at does not offer trash bins!

 

[Zeus-cat]

Marc_G said it very well. I feel launch organizers have plenty to do the way it is without adding recycling to the list.

 

[Zeus-cat]

I just pack out what I pack in. It's that easy. Besides, one club I fly at does not offer no trash bins!

I do believe you have posted a double negative. It sounds like they require you to have a trash bin!

 

[mikec]

After seeing the fuss about the lack of recycling containers at LOC in another thread, I thought it would be interesting to see where we stand with recycling.

Sure, because that horse wasn't beaten to death in the other thread.

Let's face it, most launches have no trash service at all. We have gotten a single dumpster for our large regional launch in the past, but there is simply no way to practically provide separate recycling in a remote location, even if people would use it appropriately. The whole purpose of deposits is that somebody will be motivated to sort through the trash and pull out the bottles and cans.

 

[tim cubbedge]

I do believe you have posted a double negative. It sounds like they require you to have a trash bin!

Oops sorry about that chief. Fixed it

 

[fyrwrxz]

There should be a deposit on pop-ups...jes' sayin'......
(OTOH- try packing one of those out once they've been pretzeled-that ain't going back in the bag!)

 

[woferry]

My opinion is if there is garbage there should also be recycling. I expect neither at a launch, most of the times a launch site is so remote it doesn't make sense to provide either service. And farms may not appreciate additional large vehicles driving onto their fields to pick up dumpsters/bins. But having trash without recycling generally encourages people to throw their recyclables in the trash which isn't so great. Though I have no idea how much if any sorting the garbage companies may do, for all I know they have people who dive through the dumpsters and pull out the recyclables, especially in a place like CA where there's a cash value on those items (heck, there's a lady who walks my street every night on the evening before recycling pick-up to fish out any bottles ). Pack-in, pack-out is the best approach in my mind as it avoids any gray area on what to throw away where, especially when the local rules may be different than where you live (assuming you can even understand the rules where you live).

On that note, what I find even more confusing is compostables for the places that have 3 bins (not talking launch sites of course), the lines are not at all clear to me what goes where. I've even seen debates over just what should go in recycle bins, i.e. are recyclable food containers that aren't clean okay to put in or do they have to be 100% clean, and so on.

 

[tightwad]

I provide my own trash bin...its the box bed of my pick-up! I believe that's what the bed of a pick-up was made for...junk, dogs and trash, right?

 

[rstaff3]

I agree with those who said just take what you brung.

 

[Steve Shannon]

It depends on the launch. We didn't even have portapotties until our most recent launch. We put up a backpack toilet and I had to haul the bags back to town. There's one extreme. At a very large launch the organizers almost have to have trash containers at the very least to guard against litter. Recycling containers would be a luxury, but I still think that the flyers and spectators should be responsible for all of their own trash and recyclables.


[emoji1010] Steve Shannon [emoji1010]

 

[SecretSquirrel]

Good grief, I can't believe this is an issue.

When you go to a launch, any launch, be prepared to take out what what you brought in, just in case. If the launch provides trash receptacles, they are providing a courtesy to you. Maybe be glad they're doing that.

If you're committed to recycling, and the launch doesn't provide adequate containers, take the stuff home and recycle it. If it's really a priority, you'll do that instead of blaming others for not providing the service.

If you really want the launch to provide support for recycling and they don't, offer to organize that for the next event, step up if you really care. Don't try and pressure others into doing what you want, offer to do it. Help out a little.

 

[Brent]

Good grief, I can't believe this is an issue.

When you go to a launch, any launch, be prepared to take out what what you brought in, just in case. If the launch provides trash receptacles, they are providing a courtesy to you. Maybe be glad they're doing that.

If you're committed to recycling, and the launch doesn't provide adequate containers, take the stuff home and recycle it. If it's really a priority, you'll do that instead of blaming others for not providing the service.

If you really want the launch to provide support for recycling and they don't, offer to organize that for the next event, step up if you really care. Don't try and pressure others into doing what you want, offer to do it. Help out a little.

Well said!

 

[RocketFeller]

I think that if they are providing trash receptacles a recycling bin would make sense - better for the planet and cheaper, too. While it costs money to dump garbage, recycling can actually earn you a few bucks. That said, trash service at most launches I've been to the only garbage is a bucket for burnt igniters.

 

[hball55]

Unbelievable this is even being asked. Pack in pack out and quit expecting a service that you can do for yourself.

 

[Steve Shannon]

I think that if they are providing trash receptacles a recycling bin would make sense - better for the planet and cheaper, too. While it costs money to dump garbage, recycling can actually earn you a few bucks. That said, trash service at most launches I've been to the only garbage is a bucket for burnt igniters.

Some places recycling might earn a few bucks but in many rural places residents have to pay for it as an extra service. We pay $20 per month for the service.


[emoji1010] Steve Shannon [emoji1010]

 

[MikeyDSlagle]

Good grief, I can't believe this is an issue.

When you go to a launch, any launch, be prepared to take out what what you brought in, just in case. If the launch provides trash receptacles, they are providing a courtesy to you. Maybe be glad they're doing that.

If you're committed to recycling, and the launch doesn't provide adequate containers, take the stuff home and recycle it. If it's really a priority, you'll do that instead of blaming others for not providing the service.

If you really want the launch to provide support for recycling and they don't, offer to organize that for the next event, step up if you really care. Don't try and pressure others into doing what you want, offer to do it. Help out a little.

And there it is! If someone is so concerned about recycling, or the lack of, to the point they get peeved at the folks putting on the event, then that someone should take an extra step and provide the service themselves. Help the community, the club and the environment, and make a little change on the side. Organizing any event is pricey and time consuming, the less logistics involved the better. Dumpsters cost money. Maybe some folks would be willing to pay 50 bucks just to be able to launch, but not this guy. Recycling is awesome, but sometimes the cost is just impractical.

We have a forced recycling program at work. Three bins other than plain trash. Mixed paper, white paper, and plastic bottles, oh a dumpster just for cardboard. Everything has to be fairly clean, no pizza boxes, food wrappers and so own. Plastic drinking bottles only, rinsed with lids removed. It's a hassle and we had to appoint one individual to tend to the whole mess.

But that's just me.

Mikey D

 

[Marc_G]

This is provided that there is waste removal provided at the launch and not pack in - pack out.

This is from the original post of the question. So, the question is already assuming that the launch organizers are providing trash service. So, should they provide incremental service for recycling? It seems like a simple cost / benefit / practicality question.

 

[AlfaBrewer]

Nope. I took all of the trash from our launch this weekend home with me and pulled the recyclables (mostly water and gatorade bottles), but I don't expect the launch organizers to provide any recycling bins.

If YOU want recycling, then YOU get to pony up for the separate bin.

By the way, have you ever actually looked at what gets thrown in the "recycling" bins at a large event? All bins get treated as a trash bin.

 

[Andy Greene]

A POLL FOR THIS - REALLY ??? :eyeroll: Imho the other thread should never have runs its course as long as it did.
Flame me ban me say what you will - my theory .

Leave only your footprints - what you do with the rest is on you.

 

[rharshberger]

Good grief, I can't believe this is an issue.

When you go to a launch, any launch, be prepared to take out what what you brought in, just in case. If the launch provides trash receptacles, they are providing a courtesy to you. Maybe be glad they're doing that.

If you're committed to recycling, and the launch doesn't provide adequate containers, take the stuff home and recycle it. If it's really a priority, you'll do that instead of blaming others for not providing the service.

If you really want the launch to provide support for recycling and they don't, offer to organize that for the next event, step up if you really care. Don't try and pressure others into doing what you want, offer to do it. Help out a little.

+1, our club really is to small to spend our funds on dumpsters, so its "pack it in, pack it out".

 

[hball55]

This is from the original post of the question. So, the question is already assuming that the launch organizers are providing trash service. So, should they provide incremental service for recycling? It seems like a simple cost / benefit / practicality question.

They probably provide trash receptacles because of a few bad citizens who would otherwise ruin it for everyone else. Not everyone is born with common sense.

 

[tomsteve]

welp, sure seems to me that MOST of the rocketry community understands and accepts personal responsibility. its sad that this is even an issue.
ive gone through a serious battle with cancer. through that ive seen many, many parents, wives, husbands, etc of cancer patients who were very distraught over not only their loved ones fighting cancer, but the financial strains they faced.
now THAT is an issue.

who brought the crap to the launch that can be recycled? why not set yourself up BEFORE the launch to take your crap home and recycle it yourself?
take personal responsibility for yourself,people. stop whining about little crap.

 

[DavidMcCann]

That said. Every launch I've seen gets some level of heat for the cost of the launch. Would it be great if we had fully catered lunches and dinners, with trash and recycling bins at every picnic shelter with forced A/C and workbenches, with a mobile snap-on tool cart so you could work on your rockets and prep in comfort, and of course matching a/c flush johns and showers, with sealed a/c gators for people to ride in for recovery tasks?

Yea, that'd all be awesome. But you have to draw the line somewhere. That line is before tacking on a recycling train of bins. because you're not talking about one, but several if you're doing it right.

If a launch has a dumpster, that's a luxury. If you're concerned about recycling, pack that stuff out (I pack out all my alum cans and all my glass bottles and let me tell you I save the opening of a new landfill every time I do that).

It's very simply that simple.

 

[blackjack2564]

Why is always some one else's.............. responsibility?

Are you an AmeriCAN or an AmeriCAN"T?

I see crap on the ground I just pick it up......if I see some one throwing stuff down...I say "ya missed the trash can,try again."

If I want recycling, I bring my own Big can & put "aluminum only" sign on it. Go home with nice stash I trade for cash.....buy motors with.

Point being, don't waste time & effort typing about it, asking what others think......

JUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Lead by example, we are rocketeers [well most of us], not the government.

 

[75Grandville]

Tell you what. Once we actually get enough people to volunteer to

1) Pull the trailer to/from the launch site
2) Set up the launch site
3) Work LCO/RSO/etc duties during the launch
4) Help tear down the equipment after the launch
5) Help pay the $150/launch for the porta-potty (and that's down from $200 last year)

Once all that is taken care of on a regular and consistent basis, _then_ come talk to us about recycling.

Or, as others have said, if it gets your goat that bad, step up and provide recycling services yourself. Just help load the trailer before you start sorting.:wink:

 

[MClark]

At Balls we do pack in, pack out but still end up with trash left behind for the tear down crew. There is no way I am going to separate it.
If we had a recycling dumpster it would have come from Reno/Sparks from the same place as the potties. It is almost 150 miles. The giant truck drives 150 out to drop off, 150 home. Repeat to pick up. 600 miles. I bet the fuel used would weigh more than the recyclables in the bin.

 

[rocketheads]

Take your own damn trash with you. Don't bother other folks with personal stances, just do it yourself.
People that pull off events of every sort have thankless jobs....voluntarily. Don't add to the self inflicted abuse.

 

[rharshberger]

Take your own damn trash with you. Don't bother other folks with personal stances, just do it yourself.
People that pull off events of every sort have thankless jobs....voluntarily. Don't add to the self inflicted abuse.

AMEN REVEREND, THEY SHALL SEE THE LIGHT AND BE SAVED! ��

I love it when people put aside the "politically correct" crap and say it in plain language!