Geocaching containers and the environment.

February 28, 2008

Are geocaching containers safe for the environent?

Can the chemicals from plastic containers and other types of containers leak into the dirt over time?

I've also seen where people have spray painted the containers. Isn't it bad for the environment?

2.2k · February 28, 2008

Are geocaching containers safe for the environent?

Can the chemicals from plastic containers and other types of containers leak into the dirt over time?

I've also seen where people have spray painted the containers. Isn't it bad for the environment?

Maybe people could make containers out of mud and straw or something?

38.2k · February 28, 2008

I will assume that your question is genuine, but I may be taking the bait here.

Are Tupperware. Lock n Lock and other plastic containers safe for our food? If they are safe enough to store our edibles in, I'm sure they are safe for the grass or dead leaves on the ground. If any chemicals leach out the amount is incredibly insignificant.

As far as paint, if I were to walk into the woods and spill the amount of paint on the ground that goes into painting a cache, what will happen? It might kill a few blades of grass and stain a 2 square inch area but what would the overall affect on the environment be?

In short you are probably causing more damage to the environment by driving to the cache, than container or paint leaching will do in 100,000 years.

18.9k · February 28, 2008

No worse then any fence post, railroad tie, road surface, rusty tin can, house, bridge, siesmometer, utility pole, underground pipe, diversion dam, rail etc......

Any UV stabilized plastic should have an outdoor life of many times longer than this game has been around before it leeches anything away.

Metals came from ground in the first place.

I wouldn't worry too much about it.

February 28, 2008

Yes, genuine question.

A few containers will be harmful. I'm talking about the cumulative effects of many containers.

18.9k · February 29, 2008

Yes, genuine question.

A few containers will be harmful. I'm talking about the cumulative effects of many containers.

Well it would be one thing if they were all heaped together in one place vs randomly scattered across the face of the earth.

Even 1 million ammocans would not come close to equaling the amount of steel in even a single hi-rise building in a city. As we all know - they aren't all ammocans. Mostly smaller.

19k · February 29, 2008

Yes, genuine question.

A few containers will be harmful. I'm talking about the cumulative effects of many containers.

I think that is an excellent question. Please do the neccessary research and get back to us. Thanks!

18.9k · February 29, 2008

....Be sure to figure in the positive effects we cachers have had doing CITO work. I know the locals around here have hauled off more volume then we have put out by many - many times.

3k · February 29, 2008

It would have never occurred to me to worry about the environmental impact of painted Tupperware containers.

If you are looking for things to worry about, you may want to consider worrying about the the cumulative effects of all the discarded batteries, including rechargeable batteries, that we use to support our hobby. And those that we use to support our lives in general.

24.7k · February 29, 2008

...I've also seen where people have spray painted the containers. Isn't it bad for the environment?

If you went around spray painting the environment I could see how that's harmful. You will find that the recommended practice for household chemicals including paint is to use them for their purpose. Painting a cache is good. Dumping the paint down your drain is bad.

February 29, 2008

Oh please... I am a member of several forums. Each dedicated to it's own interest. Mostly outdoor type stuff. I have been on the internet surfing forums for years. I don't get into flame wars. I am just not the type of guy to start crap on the net. But... I have to say that this is without a doubt, the most stupid question I have ever seen asked in any forum.... ever.

Edited February 29, 2008 by corpsman223

February 29, 2008

When it comes to the containers the only real harmful aspect would probobly be the spray painting. Spray paint is not very good for the environment, but I dont think the amount used in constructing caches adds up to a very large net effect. As other people have said, things like driving to the caches and all the discarded batteries are probobly far worse for the environment.

....Be sure to figure in the positive effects we cachers have had doing CITO work. I know the locals around here have hauled off more volume then we have put out by many - many times.

Another very good point.

2.2k · February 29, 2008

Yes, genuine question.

A few containers will be harmful. I'm talking about the cumulative effects of many containers.

Maybe if thousands and thousands of ammo boxes were piled up in the middle of the woods, but that would be against the guidelines (528 foot rule)

3k · February 29, 2008

Yes, genuine question.

A few containers will be harmful. I'm talking about the cumulative effects of many containers.

Maybe if thousands and thousands of ammo boxes were piled up in the middle of the woods, but that would be against the guidelines (528 foot rule)

Only if more than one of them was listed as a cache on this site.

3.3k · February 29, 2008

Are geocaching containers safe for the environent?

Can the chemicals from plastic containers and other types of containers leak into the dirt over time?

I've also seen where people have spray painted the containers. Isn't it bad for the environment?

Try actually finding more than zero caches, then test the soil around the containers for contaminants that you can directly link to chemical leeching of the containers. Share your results with us.

5.3k · February 29, 2008

Just a thought

February 29, 2008

Just a thought

The mate was a mighty sailin' man,

The skipper brave and sure...

February 29, 2008

Just a thought

Hahaha... Comedy Gold!!

------

re: the environmental question... I'm more concerned about the pollution created to power your computer & monitor for you to create this thread.

Edited February 29, 2008 by Canadavey

1.3k · February 29, 2008

I wonder if Captain Clorox will make an appearance?

February 29, 2008

Oh please... I am a member of several forums. Each dedicated to it's own interest. Mostly outdoor type stuff. I have been on the internet surfing forums for years. I don't get into flame wars. I am just not the type of guy to start crap on the net. But... I have to say that this is without a doubt, the most stupid question I have ever seen asked in any forum.... ever.

Let's see if I have this straight. You say you don't start flame wars, and then in the next breath you try to start one? Cmon.

Yours might be about the most stupid response to a perfectly reasonable question that I've seen, either here or elsewhere.

There are TONS of newbie and/or just very basic questions being asked here every day. Are you going to start posting your flaming trash in response to every one of them?

- Mark

February 29, 2008

Maybe if thousands and thousands of ammo boxes were piled up in the middle of the woods, but that would be against the guidelines (528 foot rule)

Obviously only one contains the cache. The rest are just there for camo.

Edward

February 29, 2008

Oh please... I am a member of several forums. Each dedicated to it's own interest. Mostly outdoor type stuff. I have been on the internet surfing forums for years. I don't get into flame wars. I am just not the type of guy to start crap on the net. But... I have to say that this is without a doubt, the most stupid question I have ever seen asked in any forum.... ever.

Let's see if I have this straight. You say you don't start flame wars, and then in the next breath you try to start one? Cmon.

Yours might be about the most stupid response to a perfectly reasonable question that I've seen, either here or elsewhere.

There are TONS of newbie and/or just very basic questions being asked here every day. Are you going to start posting your flaming trash in response to every one of them?

- Mark

No Mark I'm not. Just this one.

8.3k · February 29, 2008

Are geocaching containers safe for the environent?

Can the chemicals from plastic containers and other types of containers leak into the dirt over time?

I've also seen where people have spray painted the containers. Isn't it bad for the environment?

I wish you have never asked these questions. Do you know what you will do to my sleep for the next several weeks? Do you have any idea what I will do to the environment when I am tired and cranky? It's not pretty.

Jim

P.S. Because I can't sleep I will no doubt do more caching at night. Do you have any idea what all the extra batteries will do to my local landfill? There are times questions simply should not be asked. This is one of them.

Edited February 29, 2008 by jholly

February 29, 2008

Didn't mean to start anything.

I just wanted to be a responsible cache hider.

Edited February 29, 2008 by ssgeo83

February 29, 2008

Didn't mean to start anything. I just wanted to be a responsible cache hider.

Maybe people could make containers out of mud and straw or something?

38.2k · February 29, 2008

Didn't mean to start anything.

I just wanted to be a responsible cache hider.

I think you can rest easy. Just be sure to remove your cache when you are through with it.

3.8k · February 29, 2008

Metals came from ground in the first place.

SO DID ALL PLASTICS. The OP's question is completely senseless. Sorry.

February 29, 2008

Metals came from ground in the first place.

SO DID ALL PLASTICS. The OP's question is completely senseless. Sorry.

Why is this a senseless question? Chemicals can leach out of plastic just as the OP was asking. The amount is probobly very small and negligible, but I think that is what the poster was trying to figure out.

February 29, 2008

I've always been taught that dumb questions are the ones that never get asked in the first place.

The way I see the question is the person who asked this question is concerned for the environment and there is nothing wrong nor dumb about that. Kudos to you for being caring, smart and responsible enough to ask the question in the first place.

There are however such things as dumb answers/replies. Those would be the ones who do so with a negativity towards the person asking the question in the first place.

Getting back to the question...I'm 100% sure that all of us at some point in time, in fact, more than we care to count, have tossed, discarded, sprayed, etc...something that is even more harmful to the environment then placing a cache container.

1.7k · February 29, 2008

I've always been taught that dumb questions are the ones that never get asked in the first place.

The way I see the question is the person who asked this question is concerned for the environment and there is nothing wrong nor dumb about that. Kudos to you for being caring, smart and responsible enough to ask the question in the first place.

There are however such things as dumb answers/replies. Those would be the ones who do so with a negativity towards the person asking the question in the first place.

Getting back to the question...I'm 100% sure that all of us at some point in time, in fact, more than we care to count, have tossed, discarded, sprayed, etc...something that is even more harmful to the environment then placing a cache container.

I couldn't agree more with this post.

As a public health nurse, this issue is getting some press lately in our local area d/t concerns of toxins from plastics leeching from baby's bottles into the milk - especially with heating.

Here is an example of an article written on the subject complete with references used. Agree or disagree with the validity of a cause for concern, one certainly cannot fault the OP for expressing a desire to find out more.

http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Plasticiz...et-PG5nov03.htm

And I also wish to say that as a fairly new convert to geocaching, I'm certainly glad that I wasn't flamed for one of my first questions as the OP here was. It would probably have turned me off to what I thought was supposed to be a FUN thing to do with some nice people who support it and newbies here.

Peace

24.7k · February 29, 2008

....I'm talking about the cumulative effects of many containers.

Being spread out, it's a non issue. Take heavy metals. We humans concentrated them, then they became a problem. Before we did that they were already here, but not a problem. Caches are not conentrated by defintion.

February 29, 2008

And I also wish to say that as a fairly new convert to geocaching, I'm certainly glad that I wasn't flamed for one of my first questions as the OP here was. It would probably have turned me off to what I thought was supposed to be a FUN thing to do with some nice people who support it and newbies here.

Peace

I agree

19k · March 1, 2008

Are geocaching containers safe for the environent?

Yup. Reasonably so. I mean, let's face it... LIVING is bad for the environment. Can I assume that you used a computer to post that question? Are computers safe for the environment?

Can the chemicals from plastic containers and other types of containers leak into the dirt over time?

Not really. Lead-based paints are off the market. Anyway, once the paint is try, its really pretty inert stuff. Now, manufacturing the stuff... that may be a different matter.

I've also seen where people have spray painted the containers. Isn't it bad for the environment?

Nope. At least not compared to what it did to the environment to build that car that you drove to the cache, or the GPS that you used to find it. Or to manufacture the shoes that you wore as you walked to it. Consider and compare the environmental impact of all those people that stay home and watch football on the television on the weekend.

March 1, 2008

For my experience, geocachers generally have the utmost respect for the environment, as do hunters and fisherman generally. Those who enjoy the outdoors tend to be the most likely to protect it.

Geocaching containers and the environment.

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