CP Recycling Program?

I was at the park recently and noticed the huge amount of plastic Pepsi and water bottles filling most of the park's trash cans especially in the lines with vending machines. I also noticed the lack of recycling efforts in the park.

My thought was maybe for Cedar Point to start a simple recycling program, like placing bins through out the park/lines similar to this. Maybe replace 3:1 trash cans with a pepsi receptacle. Kings Island, and the Busch parks have recycling programs, why can't CP? I think a program like this could really look good on CP's end, while helping the environment.

What do you guys think?

You'd think Pepsi (or at least whoever bottles Pepsi's drinks) would be interested in such a thing at places like CP.

Funny that you mention this. I was at CP yesterday, and we said the exact same thing. The clean up crew at the end of the night on Maverick were emptying the trash cans, which were about 95% pepsi bottles.

I really hope those aren't going straight into a land fill. AT LEAST put the recycling cans in the lines, where nearly all of the trash was bottles from the vending machines.

They actually have a few of those mostly around the dining area's. The ones I have seen have been at the seating area under the Sky Ride by the Corral

But it is not used widespread enough for any actual benefit. When I was in line for Dragster I noticed pretty much every trash can was filled with bottles from the machines, pretty much pooring out. Recycling bins would cut down on the amount of plastics taking up room for actually trash. It could even allow for removal of some trash cans from the park? I agree Dj if I were Pepsico, I would be very interested in starting a program at CP/pepsi branded CF parks. Seems like it would be nothing but good PR to me.

I noticed that six flags has racks for the souvinier soda bottles on the coaster platforms now. They are wooden racks with holes in it just big enough for the bottle. There are approx 50 holes on the rack. Each hole has a number. It's free for anyone to use.

This is a great idea. Maybe cedarpoint should do something like this. More people would buy the souvinier bottles, rather than the bottles out of the machine.

All the non dual station rides already have bins in some form or another anyway. Why would they need to put in something that only accommodates a very specific item when they already cover just about anything you would have to store?

Yea but souvinier bottles all look the same. How do you tell one from another. The racks they have at six flags, make it quick and easy, plus they all have numbers on them so nobody gets them mixed up.

These racks are free to use, and I think it would spur people to buy more sports bottles rather than a bottle out of a machine.

Here are some pictures of what I am talking about...

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/57833.aspx?id=818149

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/57833.aspx?id=818150

These were from six flags st louis, but I included them in with the sfga trip report. They are not my picture, I got them from facebook.

I would think cp could strike a deal with a recyl cling company to put there advertising in the park. Thereby at the very lease costing cp nothing for the program or makeing a little money off of it.

I know when i got to Milwaukee Brewers games. They have some advertising on the scoreboard promoting recycling and the company they partner with.

The main problem recyclers have with bins next to garbage cans is most of the general public just throws trash into the recycling bins. So maybe instead of weeding trash out of the bottle recycling centers, a recycling company is just recycling the bottles out of the trash.

I am all for recycling, I do it at my house. Unfortunately 90% of the general public just doesn't give a rip. I think 90% is a little low of a number.

Crazy horse, I think that would be a great idea. Those would be great on busy platforms.

Cedar Point really should have a bottle recycling can. I am pretty sure they have them in the new fountain area, and the eatery plaza by the Cadillac Cars. Busch Gardens does this also. It really helps cut down on the clutter in the trash cans.

I seem to recall hearing it costs the park more to recycle the bottles than the cost associated with the additional amount of trash as a result of the bottles.

Who handles CP's trash?

Recycling bins are a terribly inefficient way of managing trash and for reasons already described here they are not a very effective way to actually get recyclable materials out of the landfill. About the only thing they are good for is to make some people feel smug and others feel guilty; as a waste management strategy they are a loss all around.

But many of the private waste companies operate separation plants where they can collect usable materials out of a combined waste stream. It is more labor intensive than making the consumer separate out his garbage, but it gets a lot more of the recyclable waste and it is ultimately a lot more efficient and less expensive for the customer. The homogenous nature of Cedar Point's garbage would even make the trash easier to sort.

So for all we know, they may be recycling those bottles!

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

That's true, maybe it does get recycled somewhere down the line. I know that at McDonalds in Canada they have separate containers for garbage, paper, plastic, etc. However I have friends who work there that say all of those containers get dumped in the same place, the trash compactor. What's the point of lying about it?

The point in lying about it is so that Cedar Fair can appear to be a greener company, boosting their image. ;)

Honestly though....any way you look at it, the recycling bins do have a benefit. They're brainwashing millions of guests to recycle. Sure Cedar Point alone won't do this task, but look at how much recycling awareness has increased in the last decade or so. Ten years ago, I wouldn't have thought twice about throwing my cans in the trash. Now, our city provides a large separate container for recyclables and trash.

As the awareness continues to increase in these "green" times, guests will become increasingly annoyed by throwing recyclables in the trash...and then the company has some bad press to spin.

Perhaps Ohio should do what Michigan does, and start a deposit program. I think MI's deposit/recycle rate is in the high 90%'s.

Calling people who recycle smug and assuming they do it just to make the rest feel guilty is just as irresponsible and not recycling in the first place. I recycle because its rational and responsible not because I think I'm better then anyone. Recycling is common sense and only inefficient because not enough people do it.

Read what you said.

As soon as you start calling someone else irresponsible for NOT doing X and yourself responsible FOR doing X, you're immediately placing yourself above them. That IS smug.

djDaemon said:
Perhaps Ohio should do what Michigan does, and start a deposit program. I think MI's deposit/recycle rate is in the high 90%'s.

I think that is one of the better laws Michigan has passed.