I think at CDA last year they said something about reducing waste / recycling?? I could be wrong ...

It really bugs me too. :(

<I know it might cost a few $$ extra, but I for one would like to see all that plastic waste recycled>
Well @ $500 per athlete I honestly believe it will not impact their profits.

That being said, they may actually do it but not immediatly after the race?

Cheers,
Fred.

Does it bother anyone else to see that much trash generated by a race?

Not me

>>That being said, they may actually do it but not immediatly after the race?

They didn't at IMAZ, at least not in the transition area. They had huge trash trucks that were grinding it all up. I very much doubt anyone was sorting through all that mess before it hit the landfill.

This is a good topic and one that I think that needs to be addressed. Not to pick any event, but in general, events such as large triathlons and marathons do not seem to be that environmentally friendly. The amount of waste material( plastic, paper, etc . .) from such events seems to be significant. I would be very interested to hear the input and ideas from some key RD's on the matter.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

That may be the case, and I don't claim to know the economics associated with recycling. Still, its horribly hypocritical given that we all love to be outside enjoying our sport, yet create so much unnecesary waste at these events. If its a cost issue, using reusable water bottles for example, the typical triathlete can afford to spend a few extra $$ to make it happen.

On the bike alone, I used about 10 bottles of gatorade and probably 12 bottles of drinking water. Much of which went right over my head. All of that fluid could have been in reusable bottles.

 
I have done races (Ironhorse half comes to mind) with bottle exchanges. You toss your bottle at the aid station, it gets washed by volunteers, refilled with water or gatorade, and handed to someone else. And at the end you end up with some random bottle, which is kind of fun.

"If its a cost issue, using reusable water bottles for example, the typical triathlete can afford to spend a few extra $$ to make it happen."

Not too long ago, the sports beverage at big IM races on the course was handed out in standard bike water bottles - which are reusable. Gatorade was bulk mixed and then poured into these bottle at the aid stations. Somewhere along the way, races and the companies that supplied the beverages switched to single sealed propreitery bottles of that sports beverage. I suspect that the waste factor took a huge jump when this happened. Now, I am not a plastic expert, but all of those gatorade bottles are recycleable, but how many of them make it into recycling after an event?

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

"there is no cost effective market for it."

I don't know if recyclable plastic bottles go into it, but composite decking material is made from recycled plastic. I'm in the process of rebuilding a deck and all the suppliers are really touting composite over wood. I take all my plastics to a local recycling facility, along with paper, aluminum, cardboard, and glass. All the on-mountain restaurants at many Colorado ski areas have separate bins for plastic bottles. It's really not all that difficult if there is a plan in place.

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Don

Tri-ing to have fun. Anything else is just a bonus!

I was at a bike water stop in Tempe and we did try to recycle the bottles. Some local guy asked us to bag them for him to pick up later. (I think the bags may have gotten thrown in the Dumpsters but we tried....) A few of us tried to pick up as much trash as we could across the road on the BeeLine....it was so windy full bottles were blowing across the road.....not an easy day. Congratulations to everyone who endured that ride....

...and I would encourage everyone who races to think about volunteering....it really makes you appreciate all the work the volunteers do.

           Okay,so about the whole re-useable bottle thing.You will remember Steve that IMC used to use bike biddons for the aid stations with Gatorade (or Endura or All Sport)that was mixed at the aid station on the day.The water was brought in by a local company in those 19 litre containers that we all see at the water cooler.After the 1994 gong show with all the questions about the "suspect" electrolyte drink that year and then problems with water delivery(some run stations were getting water out of Skaha Lake) the powers at be started to re-think the aid station strategy. Another point if you saw how the bike biddons were stored for the eleven months in between races then you would wonder how they could get thousands of bottles cleaned and sterilised in time for Ironman.Believe me it was a huge task.The health of the athletes has to be taken into consideration and reuseable bottles are not up to modern standards in our litigious society.
Next,tri-geeks in this age are so worried about counting calories that by providing pre-mixed and sealed bottle ensures not only a "safe" product but a standard of product that the athletes can use in training and rely on during the event(remember Ken Glah so many years ago in Hawaii when he put part of the blame of blowing up on the "weak mix" of gatorade that he got at an aid station).
The bottom line is it's is safer for NAS to provide guaranteed and safe nutritional products provided by the nutritional sponsors than to rely on random volunteers to mix fluids for the athletes.The recycling is up to the individual host communities to deal with as part of their own recycling programs.I know NAS works with each Ironman community closely on this subject.
One side line which is something I have been pushing for over the last few years here in IMC.Ban the bloody sponges-they are unsanitary!!

Nick,

I agree. Just as I was posting, I was realizing the whole sanitation side of the issue. Definatly not to be overlooked. I do recall the 1994 imbroglio at IMC. I seem to recall people threatening IMC with lawsuits. So sealed containers of gatorade or water or what ever is what it is, then. If so, then I hope that behind the secnes every effort is being made by the RD's and the communities to channel the waste in the right direction ( Hopefully, recycling for much of it) and to minimize anything that they use heavily that can't be recycled.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Hello,
I am a new race director specializing in environmentally friendly running events in the gorgeous scenic areas of the Las Vegas Valley's surrounding areas. It is of great concern to me to minimize the environmental impact of our presence on the US Forest, BLM, National Parks, and scenic byways on which we conduct our races. While the protocol is determined by the RD, a certain responsibility and tolerance lies with the athletes. Of course safety is the number one concern for everyone, then should come environmental concern, then performance. That said, if each participant was willing to carry a water bottle on the run and refill at aid stations, issues of impact and sanitation would be solved. Unfortunately, not everyone is willing to do this. My races aim to find a happy medium and to bring some "ultra culture" to other distances.

I have 3 events already permitted and am in the planning stages for 3 more events throughout the year. Check out: www.calicoracing.com and please keep the environmental suggestions coming.
Joyce Forier
Calico Racing