There will be no on-site recycling at Priceless this year.
All attendees will be expected to pack out their own recyclables (along with trash, as always). Please plan accordingly! Any recycling left on site will end up in a landfill – that’s out of our control – so PLEASE come to Priceless with the intent to handle your own recycling!
How to “Green Your Gear”
We can’t emphasize the importance of planning how you will deal with your recyclables ahead of time enough. Here’s a few Priceless “Pack-in” Pro-Tips to make your Pack-out Plan a breeze:
- Proactive packing
Belden gets hot. You (and your trash) are there for a few days. Think about anything you’re considering bringing, and what state it’s going to be in on the way out. - Remove unnecessary packaging
Bring as little of the packaging as possible. We promise, this is a great first line of attack and removes the need to sort and store at the event. Next level: transfer the contents to reusable, sealable containers. - Storage bin FTW
Pack all your consumables that are in recyclable containers in a plastic bin. That way, you’ll be sure to have the space and a receptacle for hauling them back out! - Start communicating now
If you’re camping with a group, start organizing a plan now for shared waste collection AND removal. Don’t assume someone in your crew’s got this covered! Allocate a couple of empty bags/bins and make sure there’s enough car space and volunteers from the group to cart it all home. - Dress your mess for success
Bring signs, duct tape, ribbons, LEDs, QR codes, whatever you need to clearly mark your camp’s garbage/recycling setup. You don’t want accidental contamination of your beautifully orchestrated recycling efforts. (Visitors/passersby might not recognize your have a system. Also it gets dark. And sometimes we get… ecologically impaired.) - Cans > Bottles
Cans are lighter, safer (remember: no bottles on the beach!), and easier to pack out than glass bottles! Consider purchasing something like this to make crushing cans easier.
But Wait. You’ve always had recycling in the past… what gives?!
Your Priceless team has always made every attempt to keep the event as green as possible, providing both recycling and composting services for many years. But it recently came to our attention that your recycling was not being handled appropriately once it left Belden. In short, despite your and our best efforts, the majority of the recycling has actually been going to landfill. We know! It bums us out too! 😦 The recycling facilities in and around Plumas County are just not equipped to handle our cans, bottles, plastics, and papers effectively.
*Note: We’ll have a limited number of blue recyclables bags for attendees that miss this message. Don’t let this be your only recycling plan!
We appreciate your cooperation in helping us make Priceless as much of a leave-no-trace event as possible!
You’re probably aware the state of recycling has been an ongoing issue across the country since last year. If you’re as passionate about recycling as we are, here are some articles to bring you up to speed on the state of recycling in the US:
- SF Reacts to the Bin Sanity of the New Recycling Landscape (SF Weekly)
- America has a recycling problem. Here’s how to solve it. (The Week)
- As Costs Skyrocket, More U.S. Cities Stop Recycling (NYTimes)
- Americans are really bad at recycling. But only because we’re not trying very hard. (Green America)
- And add this to the “who knew?!” category: Crushing Cans Before Recycling.
(But fear not, Recology in SF has the most state-of-the-art recycling facilities and they can handle all of your crushed cans!)
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