An Inconvenient Truth in Sin City. BABY!

Also, at the first BlogHer, at the welcome reception in the Mexican restaurant, the owner told me they don't recycle their bottles or cans.

In the owner's and BlogHer's "defense" that restaurant is that one guy's small business, prices are reasonable and he's not in the swankiest moneyed area of town. There are costs associated with recycling that he might have chosen not to bear to help keep his menu prices down - so recycling might not have happened in that instance. However, I worked with him to set up that dinner and not only is he a really nice guy but also very interested in being responsive to customers. For example he had no vegan options on his menu but he had been receiving increasing vegetarian/vegan requests from customers and was actively investigating creating new menu items to respond to those requests, very open to learning more and my discussions with him were further encouragement.

Realistically our one dinner wasn't going to be enough to change this one business' practices, but our discussions with him and continued requests from customers will likely lead to change eventually.

So, for future conferences I'd say that it's difficult for the conference organizers amidst the insane juggling act that is involved with putting one together to create, finance and put a recycling solution into place if the municipality and/or site does not have one. That's not to say it couldn't be done. So for anyone to whom this issue is important and one that you want to help tackle, I'd strongly encourage you to volunteer your time, energy, enthusiasm and expertise to Elisa as I know several people did after last year's conference.

That is great to know about the hotels. I can see how that would be a problem. I do know that when I asked at the mall or airport, they told me it all goes in the trash bin. Also, at the first BlogHer, at the welcome reception in the Mexican restaurant, the owner told me they don't recycle their bottles or cans. You are right, if it is happening, I wasn't seeing it. Very interesting about the signs in NY.

I was feeling serious guilt about throwing away the bags I accumulating shopping. I took a tote to put most of my purchases in but still had several bags. I almost took them home. It is good to know I needn't worry about that.

Thanks for the comment.

xo

www.jenandtonic.ca ( http://www.jenandtonic.ca )
contributing editor, World blogs :: Canada ( http://www.blogher.com/topic/world/canada )

The absence of separate recycling bins does not necessarily indicate the absence of recycling.

From the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection ( http://ndep.nv.gov/recycl/reclvhr.htm ):

Recycling in Las Vegas hotels however, is done without most guests or employees ever even knowing. Because the majority of Las Vegas hotels have more than 1000 rooms, internal sorting of garbage and separation of recyclable materials is logistically impractical. Instead, all the recycling takes place at the-back-of-the-house, on the hotel receiving dock. Although a few Las Vegas hotels use their own staff to sort waste and recyclables, the majority pay an outside recycling company to perform this function (contract separation), because few want to invest the extra time, space, employee training and re-training to sort waste and recyclable materials. This allows hotels to focus on guests and hotel operations rather than on additional staff needed to manage waste.

The City of San Jose, California where last year's BlogHer conference took place has one of the most comprehensive recycling programs in the United States and no longer relies on source separation (you placing recyclables into separate bins) in order to process its recyclables. So just because you didn't have the experience of separating your own recyclables does not mean it was not done.

Recently in New York I noticed that the garbage bins in the airport had signs explaining that separation of waste and recyclables was done after the bins were emptied, most likely because of this type of confusion.

thanks Maria! and everyone. I am way too sensitive to blog, I swear. My husband and I were talking about this at dinner tonight and feeling sympathy for whomever has to sort through garbage from Vegas hotel rooms. *shiver*

www.jenandtonic.ca ( http://www.jenandtonic.ca )
contributing editor, World blogs :: Canada ( http://www.blogher.com/topic/world/canada )

I had never thought of a back of the house recycling process at a restaurant or a hotel...I don't know why, it just never occurred to me, and I hate leaving water bottles and the like in there. Thanks for enlightening me.

Laurie

lauriewrites ( http://lauriewrites.tyepad.com )

What's cool in Edmonton is that even if you don't recycle, you recycle. They go over the whole city's garbage and pull out even more recyclables.

I was also trying to say that you are absolutely right that it's surprising, especially here in the crunchy bay area to find a business that doesn't recycle particularly when the city has such comprehensive options. But it's great that you took the time not only to notice but to ask.

The restaurant owner to me is an example where we can have an impact and make change. He may not have been recycling but he's astute enough to pay attention when he's getting several customers talking to him about things - whether it's vegan food or recycling. So perhaps through your conversation with him, mine and some more customers he'll decide that it's smart business, even if he has to raise prices a bit, to satisfy customers by recycling. Who knows - perhaps he's got vegan food on the menu and recycling bins out back by now.

At my apartment complex, you just throw away your garbage, and they sort it on their end. Which is absolutely fabulous!

Liz Rizzo ( http://www.blogher.com/blog/liz-rizzo )

I blog at Everyday Goddess ( http://everydaygoddess.typepad.com/ ) and On The Lot ( http://community.thelot.com/blogs/lizriz ).

And when I read your post, I was thinking, "WOW--there are places that have recycling receptacles in public areas?" I've never seen such a thing here, that's for sure. But, you know, I don't get out much...

There is no recycling where we live now, because even though we only moved 5 miles, we're now in a different county. We had to hire a private service to even pick up our trash.

Belinda ( http://www.ninjapoodles.com )

I wasn't trying to single you out - just clarifying for everyone because there was a fair bit of concern about the recycling situation from several bloggers post conference last year. It's understandable and I figure it can't hurt to put out the do-acracy call for anyone interested.

i was just talking about my observations when travelling and how they are different from where i live. i wish it was easier for everyone to recycle. i appreciate your clarification. i was not and would never criticize or call blame to blogher organizers about the year one dinner. the dinner was fabulous and the owners were very nice people, as i spoke to them as well. i am aware of how difficult it is to organize such events and have volunteered my time to blogher in different capacities.

pay do you get for THAT? Considering the gross stuff that people do in hotel rooms, I have a really hard time believing that there are just tons of people willing to sort through hotel trash (at least room trash) for less than STELLAR pay, and I find it hard to believe that there are businesses willing to PAY people what it would surely cost to do this, rather than send everything to the landfill. I mean, GREAT if they are, but nearly unbelievable to me.

Belinda ( http://www.ninjapoodles.com )