Beer Cans and Bottles

March 29, 2003

In my Cache in and Trash out experiences, I find cans and bottles from Beer. Rarely any beverage other than that. A friend of mine wants to know if this is something that needs to be addresses from an advertizing perspective with beer companies. The ones we find most are Miller Light. On a trail run we were actually questioned by some teens as to why we were picking up trash.

Any Ideas on prevention?

HDF

March 30, 2003

I don't think advertising is going to help here. But kids asking you about picking up trash is a good sign. I'd carry a few extra trash bags with you, and offer them to someone next time they ask. My guess is they'd be willing to help.

Here in Colorado, the majority of trash cans are Budweiser (followed distantly by Coors).

1.7k · March 30, 2003

Need some CITO logo'ed trash bags to hand out.

Here in MO, it appears to be Bud Light......

DustyJacket

Not all those that wander are lost. But in my case...

April 4, 2003

we have a problem here with litter from people tubing down the river,ya tubing truck tubes ,I conoe the river couple times a week an pick it up ,but hey it also pays found watches ,chains ,an a few money clips etc,Our biggest problem is to stop them from taking bottles ,atleast cans can be picked up ,Broken bottles are harder

April 4, 2003

You'll never change the problem, litter is an American thing. Just think of it as job security!

April 4, 2003

quote:
In my Cache in and Trash out experiences, I find cans and bottles from Beer

I have an idea you why you are seeing beer bottles and cans. I think its simply underage drinking. When I was underage I was probably (well make that guilty ) of dumping items of these sorts. It would have been tough explaining to mom & dad why you are putting a case full of empties in the recycling bin. Maybe we need anonymous drop bins for items of these sorts. Then again underage drinkers want to have little proof of their activity so they dump the containers soon after they have consumed its contents regardless of where they are.

April 5, 2003

I have this running theory: People who litter with beer bottles/cans don't drink premium beer. I started testing this theory a couple of summers back when we camped up near Swan Valley (Idaho.) There were TONS of domestic beer cans and bottles on the ground up and down the road by our campsite, but I never did see any import bottles.

It seems like if the person can afford to pay ~$6 a 6-pack or more, they have the good sense to either recycle or throw their trash in the proper.

Today, while on the way home from a cache, Shel and I decided to pick up some trash and cans. In the 5 miles of road that we picked, I found One Becks bottle - it's an import and it runs about $6-$7 6-pack. But that's one bottle for 2.5 summers of testing.

April 6, 2003

Around here its either Old Milk or Beast.

Late last summer I was helping one of the local naturalists on a night hike. We were going to hike through an area popular with the local underage crowd. We joked about confiscating some cheap beer.

As the group of 15 or so hikers rounded the bend to the area, the kids all took off running. We put out the fires, cleaned up the empties, and carried the rest out. The folks on the hike thought it was hilarious.

Afterwards, the naturalist and I each ended up with a case of beer. Unfortunately, it was Beast Light. When will the kids ever learn? The good stuff is worth the $$$$$.

Now where did I park my car???????

April 6, 2003

Who remembers the 30 packs of Strohs back in high school? Man, that stuff was el cheapo, but it would do the job for sure. Our claim to fame back then was the 3-30pack night amongst about 7 of us. For high school age guys that's pretty amazing! Ahh the good old days of the never quiting liver!

April 6, 2003

Living in the Northwest, we have LOTS of good microbrews around here, but occasionally we do pick up a 1/2 rack of Milwaukies Beast Ice. Nothing beats that for cheap ice beer (that we know of in this area).

Temporarily French Polynesia's most prolific geocachers!

April 7, 2003

quote:
Living in the Northwest, we have LOTS of good microbrews around here

Ahh, I need to find some Fishtale Ale out here in VA. I used to spend some quality time down at the Fishbowl.

38.2k · April 7, 2003

I see mostly Bud cans around here. No accounting for taste! Like Wavydave, I don't think I've ever found an empty bottle of Sierra Nevada, Anchor Steam, Dogfishead, Magic Hat, or Long Trail, etc... tossed in the woods.

Part of the problem is that it's illegal in many states to be found with empty alcohol containers in your car. A full, unopened case is fine but an open, or empty container could net you a major fine.

But the larger problem is that a lot of people are simply thoughtless and lazy slobs.

"You can only protect your liberties in this world, by protecting the other man's freedom. "You can only be free if I am" -Clarence Darrow

April 7, 2003

quote:
But the larger problem is that a lot of people are simply thoughtless and lazy slobs.

Like I mentioned, litter is an American thing...

38.2k · April 9, 2003

quote:
Like I mentioned, litter is an American thing...

I've been to other countries where the litter was far worse than I've encountered in the US. I've also noticed sections of cities in my state that have large immigrant populations, are particularly filthy. So it's not an American thing, it's a human thing.

And it's not a recent thing. Being an avocational archaeologist I've worked on excavations where the amount of trash we uncovered is incredible. And this includes historic (18th century) and pre-historic sites dating back 5,000 years.

"You can only protect your liberties in this world, by protecting the other man's freedom. "You can only be free if I am" -Clarence Darrow

April 9, 2003

Here In Alberta we have a recycling fee placed on bottles and cans in order to get the fee back you take the bottles and cans to a recycling depot. So people who are hard times can go around and find bottles and cans in parks.

So our parks stay relatively clean

More to see, More to do

May 3, 2003

One of the 1st pieces of trash I picked up was a full bottle of beer (which I guess is good, if you're so drunk that you're throwing beer away, you didn't really need it).

_________________________________________________________

If trees could scream, would we still cut them down?

Well, maybe if they screamed all the time, for no reason.

Click here for my Geocaching pictures and Here (newest)

May 3, 2003

My cache in trash out day was spent in a county park. Ninety percent of the trash was within ten feet of the road or the lake. So called "sportsmen", guys who get in touch with nature by stopping at Walmart on the way to the easiest place to sit their fat *** and catch farm raised fish and throw thier bottles, butts, and Dorito bags anywhere they want, really need to start looking after their piggish selves.

May 3, 2003

We all learned why back in High School.

Alcohol affects judgement and thinking abilities long before it affects motor skills.

Many folks would never think of littering normally, but put a sip of alcohol past their lips and all good sense, morals, and values disappear.

========================================

"The time has come" the Walrus said "to speak of many things; of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and Kings".

2.3k · May 4, 2003

That's why I haven't had a drink since Jan 26 of this year. I went to a few clubs after that, but after seeing how STUPID people act and look, I don't even go there anymore. Sure hope I didn't look that bad before I quit.

May 5, 2003

One of the most amazing things I've noticed about beer cans, is just how far from anything you can find them. I've found large numbers of beer cans in remote wilderness areas where it wouldn't have been practical to get a pack animal into. Evidently people load up their packs with them from time to time for rather longs trips into the woods.

Seems amazing they could drag the full ones a dozen miles into the wilderness, but can't carry the empties back out.

38.2k · May 5, 2003

quote:
Seems amazing they could drag the full ones a dozen miles into the wilderness, but can't carry the empties back out.

For years, we'd bring along a 6 pack, or two on our backpacking trips and always pack the empties out. Heck, they are lighter and very small once you crush them.

I'll never figure out why people can cart full beers into the woods, but won't pack out the empties. I was on a backpacking trip where I ran into a group camping about a mile and a half up a fairly steep mountain. They had a "beer ball" (7.5 gallons I think they are), lawn chairs, coolers, burgers, steaks and assorted condiments. It must have taken a lot of effort to cart all that stuff up the mountain.

2 days later I returned via the same path and found their campsite trashed. The beer ball, half used bottles of ketchup, mustard & relish and several partially burned lawn chairs were in their, still smoldering fire. It was disgusting. They could carry all that stuff in full, but couldn't carry it out!

I passed them near the bottom carrying their coolers, tents etc... I didn't say anything, because there were 8 of them and only one of me, but I did wait in the lot and jotted down their license plates and reported them to the local police. Don't know what came of that however.

"It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues" -Abraham Lincoln

May 5, 2003

Once I was backpacking with some friends in the Sierra. The weather turned really hot, even for 7,000 feet. We made camp next to a stream mid afternoon because we were so tired and wore out. When one of us went to the stream to fill the water jugs he cried out "Hey ! Check this out."

He returned with a six pack inside a gunny sack that was weighted down in the stream. Some horse packers left it behind.

They were ice-cold and tasted soooo gooood, even though they were budweiser. Yes, we packed out the empties.

But on a semi-related side note, among my friends and coworkers, it is just understood no alcohol at all is allowed on hunting trips -- no beer, no belly warmers for cold mornings, none. We all have seen to many people in the woods carrying firearms in the morning hung-over or still half-drunk from the night before. Scary.

========================================

"The time has come" the Walrus said "to speak of many things; of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and Kings".

3.1k · May 5, 2003

We have a 10 cent deposit in Michigan. It seems to work pretty well in preventing litter. You'll still see cans in the woods, but usually just one or two at a time. It burns me when I find them, but then I think, at least there's only one.

"Winter's just the curtain. Spring will take the bow"

-- Richard Shindell, Spring

May 5, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by BrianSnat:
Part of the problem is that it's illegal in many states to be found with empty alcohol containers in your car. A full, unopened case is fine but an open, or empty container could net you a major fine.

I have some empty beer cans (and other containers) at home that I plan to recycle. When I bring the empty cans to the recycling center in my SUV, could I be breaking the law because I have empty beer containers in my vehicle?

I also pick up empty cans while geocaching. This is part of my Cache In/Cache Out philosophy. However, they are not just beer containers. They include soda pop cans and empty water bottles, so it not just the beer drinkers who litter.

If I go out camping with friends, and we are all responsibly drinking beer and we accumulate empty containers, then what are we supposed to do with them? If we are not allowed to carry empty beer containers in our vehicle, then wouldn't the laws against having empty containers in my vehicle be a law that would actually encourage littering (which is also illegal)?

Could I be breaking the law by picking up litter which also includes empty alcohol beverage containers, and putting them in my vehicle so I could bring them to a place where they can be properly disposed of or recycled?

Laws against having empty beer containers in your vehicle don't make sense to me. Just because you have empty beer containers in your vehicle doesn't mean that you have been drinking while driving.

Also, I agree that I rarely find premium beer containers while observing litter. There is also a lot more litter in poor areas than wealthier neighborhoods. Perhaps this is because people in wealthier neighborhoods could pay people to pick up the litter more frequently, but I also believe there is a distinction between social classes which indicates that people who are better-off take care of their environment better. (Flame me for thinking that there is something better about upscale people as opposed to lower-class people).

Ken Akerman (a.k.a. Highpointer)

May 5, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by BrianSnat:

quote:
Like I mentioned, litter is an American thing...

I've been to other countries where the litter was far worse than I've encountered in the US. I've also noticed sections of cities in my state that have large immigrant populations, are particularly filthy.

I agree with the above. Why is there more litter in Mexico than in the USA? Why is there more litter in south Phoenix (predominantly Mexican and Hispanic) and on Indian reservations, than there is in upscale, predominantly white areas like north Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Fountain Hills?

Being an avid geocacher takes me to all different types of neighborhoods and residential areas, so I can see the differences in how people live.

Ken Akerman (a.k.a. Highpointer)

May 5, 2003

I agree.

My town has a high seasonal employment and people on public assistance. As a general rule (some notable exceptions) the unemployed have trashier homes and yards than people who work. As a friend noted "Those that have the most time have the most unkempt yards."

At community work days in the town park or school the only people that show up are the ones that already work 40+ hours per week. The unemployed and normally idle are nowhere to be seen.

A social comment could be made here, but I will refrain.

========================================

"The time has come" the Walrus said "to speak of many things; of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and Kings".

4.4k · May 5, 2003

Morals....I Believe that the problem lies in the fact that low to moderate income level areas are the worst.Most are from broken families and have not been taught the right morals to life.They just do not care...This is the attitude that most were raised in.I have been through just about every place in the Southern US as well as all the Western states,I have lived on the streets and have lived in mansions on the Hill.I have talked to rich and poor.I have seen the attitudes and have been there as well.Like they say one attitude at a time will change the world...it might take a while though..Keep up the good work all you Geocachers...

THE MOST DANGEROUS ANIMAL IN THE FOREST DOES NOT EVEN LIVE THERE*********WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS*GEOTRYAGAIN **1803-2003 "LOUSIANA PURCHASE" 200TH ANNIVERSARY AND THE "LEWIS AND CLARK EXPADITION" http://www.lapurchase.org http://www.msnusers.com/MissouriTrails

May 6, 2003

Here in Ontario we pay a deposit on beer bottles. At my cache "The Old Campground" the prefered beer of choice is Coors Light. To date I have made $10 by returning the bottles and while I was doing a spring maintienance run I discovered another stash of beer bottles which I will pick up soon. Sometimes it pays to geoCASH.

Binrat

"Blood is thicker than water.......Unless the water is frozen!"

May 8, 2003

In urban areas like mine, the few patches of woods are shared by underage drinkers and the homeless, both of whom tend to leave lots of skanky empties around (not to mention lovely makeshift bongs). At least one cache in our area disappeared because it was placed too close to a homeless encampment. I removed three bags of trash from the fireplace near this cache, and I even uncovered someone's makeshift potty by accident . This was about 200 feet from a rec center with lots of trash cans

3.1k · May 8, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Sugar Kane:
In urban areas like mine, the few patches of woods are shared by underage drinkers and the homeless, both of whom tend to leave lots of skanky empties around

With bottle deposits, the homeless tend to clean up after the underage drinkers. Seriously, sorry if it sounds cold.

"Winter's just the curtain. Spring will take the bow"

-- Richard Shindell, Spring

May 8, 2003

That's not cold, it's just a fact. No doubt about it, bottle deposits are a good thing.

2.3k · May 13, 2003

Wish there were bottle deposits around here! But that will come about around the same time as they implement the vehicle inspections & emissions tests -- when it's nearly too late!

Since I do craft shows and woodworking, I came up with a "crafty" way to get rid of my old cans. I cut out the tops, grab some scrap wood, and make a birdhouse out of them. Works with the 16oz plastic bottles, too. You can see it below, clamped to the pole of my craft tent. I made it so it can mount to a tree, or hang from a branch. The dowel rod can be removed to change out the can or clean out the nest.

Joel (joefrog)

"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for ye are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!"

24.7k · May 14, 2003

I'm from Wavydave's neck of the woods, more or less. What I find the most of is Mountain Dew bottles and Keystone cans. Mostly keystone.

Keystone is cheap. I drank it until I became allergic to the taste.

=====================

Wherever you go there you are.

August 20, 2003

I still can't believe how lazy a few people can be that can make a place look so trashy! A while back at a popular fishing lake here, I was out caching and could not believe how many beer cans there were, and they were only a 100 feet from an empty trash can in one area! Get off your duff and put in the can! I guess I was taught by responsible parents not to litter and to leave an area cleaner than how you found it! Oh yes, by the way, seems that the beast and busch ia a popular beer here, probably because it is cheap!

Darkmoon

All you have to do to fly is throw yourself at the ground and miss!

August 27, 2003

I wish the deposit scheme would be introduced at home in England. I have only started caching this last week in Ohio, with my partner, but I know when I am just walking along the local river the amount of trash I find. Good God, if we had the deposit scheme, I could probably afford a decent GPS!!!!!

Daft Tart

September 3, 2003

Original post by Highpointer:

------------------------------------------------

Could I be breaking the law by picking up litter which also includes empty alcohol beverage containers,

and putting them in my vehicle so I could bring them to a place where they can be properly disposed of

or recycled?

------------------------------------------------

I would think the authorities could tell the difference between a sack of half-crushed, muddy, leaf-encrusted cans in your trunk and an empty six-pack of long necks in the passenger seat next to you

September 3, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by High Desert Fish:
In my Cache in and Trash out experiences, I find cans and bottles from Beer. Rarely any beverage other than that. A friend of mine wants to know if this is something that needs to be addresses from an advertizing perspective with beer companies. The ones we find most are Miller Light. On a trail run we were actually questioned by some teens as to why we were picking up trash.

Any Ideas on prevention?

HDF

Similar experiences in Germany have made the "Dosenpfand" the right descision also in mind of the politic circles, so they made it. And it works

Well its against the american way of life and freedom to have that much regulation in business, but money one pays and throws away, as long as someone else can pick it up and get an apropriate refund <e.g. 50ct a bottle/can> anywhere is the only way to ged rid of the Miller Light, Coca Cola or whatever canned beverage. Write massive emails to your government to make a system as like in germany. It's set up this year and there are no more new oneway bottles, or cans visible in the rurual.

September 4, 2003

We tried to find a cache recently in a local park. Every likely hiding spot we checked was filled to the brim with Heinekin bottles. Must have been 1,000 or 2,000 of them hidden all around the hillside we were searching. We carried out all we could haul, but we didn't even put a dent in it. It really makes me wonder about the person leaving all the bottles here. They must have been visiting this spot a couple of times a week for about the last 5 years or so to make so many empties. We have notified the park authorities, but it is doubtful that they have done anything about it. Maybe we can organize a CITO event in this area.

September 5, 2003

One cache site that I had to visit several times to find seems to accumulate the unusual. Instead of beer cans (it's VERY public and in a 'dry' county) this one gets cheap bologna wrappers and Gatorade bottles. First time in, the kids and I collected two Wal-mart bags of them and, the last time I was there, I collected yet another Wally World bag FULL...

2.3k · September 7, 2003

Good job by you!! Gold Star!

---------------------------------------------------

Free your mind and the rest will follow

September 9, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Da Gyze:
So called "sportsmen", guys who get in touch with nature by stopping at Walmart on the way to the easiest place to sit their fat *** and catch farm raised fish and throw thier bottles, butts, and Dorito bags anywhere they want, really need to start looking after their piggish selves.

Probably the same folks that think WAL*MART is the best place on the planet to shop (and ship the US economy off to China.) are probably buying the cheapo beer there as well.

3k · September 13, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by High Desert Fish:
In my Cache in and Trash out experiences, I find cans and bottles from Beer. Rarely any beverage other than that. A friend of mine wants to know if this is something that needs to be addresses from an advertizing perspective with beer companies. The ones we find most are Miller Light. On a trail run we were actually questioned by some teens as to why we were picking up trash.

Any Ideas on prevention?

HDF

Yes, have those teens neutered before they multiply!!

Actually this is a subject that has been bugging me for years. It isn't just beer cans, those aren't the biggest problem, since nickle deposits make it possible for cans to be retrieved by the homeless and others who like the nickle back. My peeve is the styrofoam and plastic cups along with the straws, from places like Dunkin Donuts, MacDonalds, Wendy's, Burger King, Starbucks, you get the picture. And with every coffee or soda there's a sandwich/donut wrapper. They can all haul it in no problem, but God forbid they should haul it out. Maybe the drive through eatery should be thing of the past.

Planet

[This message was edited by Planet on September 13, 2003 at 08:21 AM.]

September 13, 2003

Quote: My peeve is the styrofoam and plastic cups along with the straws, from places like Dunkin Donuts, MacDonalds, Wendy's, Burger King, Starbucks, you get the picture

---------------------------

I know what you mean. We have a Hardees, DQ and Subway next to a farm field, after the snow melts and right after harvest you can see the garbage dropped outside just covering this field as the wind blows it away. It's amazing just how much there is. (hmmmm, I wonder if these companies sponser a clean up, I think I'll write them and ask. I bet they don't.)

Just think of the thousands of other places were you just can't see it, blown into grass, trees and bushes.

September 13, 2003

Recycle? ALL my GeoCans are recycled!!

They start out as Soda cans, become trash-out bag holders, then they are cache containers and when they are too beat up, they then can be recycled like any other soda can...

Trash-out, EVERYtime

~~

Geo-cach-er, n. generally a highy technically competent person with lots of free time. (see also- "Unemployed", Computer administrator, aircraft technician- defense worker- dot-com executive- systems administrator, et.al)

September 18, 2003

Here in California I have known people who have been BOOKED for open containers they have picked up as trash for recycling. also if you have a Six-Pack and one can is MISSING it is an "open Container". Same penalties as if you fail a sobriety test.

Trash-out, EVERYtime

"And I asked myself, 'Why is he sprinkling dirt on his GPSr?' "

September 18, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by BrianSnat:
Part of the problem is that it's illegal in many states to be found with empty alcohol containers in your car. A full, unopened case is fine but an open, or empty container could net you a major fine.

Doesn't a law like this actually encourage littering and discourage recycling? What if I am camping with some friends and drinking beer. If we leave the empty containers at our campsite, we are littering and breaking the law. However, if we put the empty containers in our vehicle and drive home with them, we are also breaking the law. This is a Catch-22 situation.

What am supposed to do with the empty cans and bottles of beer that I have at home? I prefer recycling them, but if I put them in my vehicle and bring them to the recycling center, then I am breaking the law.

One respondant said that I could be breaking the open container law if I have a six-pack with only five beers. So what if I get a six-pack, stop at friend's house and give him a beer, and drive home with the rest of the beers? Is this illegal?

This kind of law makes no sense to me.

Ken Akerman

2.7k · September 18, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Highpointer:

quote:
Originally posted by BrianSnat:
Part of the problem is that it's illegal in many states to be found with empty alcohol containers in your car. A full, unopened case is fine but an open, or empty container could net you a major fine.

Doesn't a law like this actually encourage littering and discourage recycling? What if I am camping with some friends and drinking beer. If we leave the empty containers at our campsite, we are littering and breaking the law. However, if we put the empty containers in our vehicle and drive home with them, we are also breaking the law. This is a Catch-22 situation.

What am supposed to do with the empty cans and bottles of beer that I have at home? I prefer recycling them, but if I put them in my vehicle and bring them to the recycling center, then I am breaking the law.

One respondant said that I could be breaking the open container law if I have a six-pack with only five beers. So what if I get a six-pack, stop at friend's house and give him a beer, and drive home with the rest of the beers? Is this illegal?

This kind of law makes no sense to me.

Ken Akerman

You've got a point there, man. Law doesn't make sense to me either.

2.7k · September 19, 2003

Actually that law is intended to keep people from drinking while they drive and killing innocent people.

As far as what to do with your trash or incomplete 6 packs? Put them in your trunk where they belong until you get home or to the dump. Duh.

---------------------

Don't hurt me. I'm new here.

September 20, 2003

Dear (Beer manufacturer),

The Geocachers in our area are having a CITO event, and would like your sponsorship. We wondered if your company could provide trash bags and transportation for the refuse to the local landfill?

We immediately thought of you when we realized that most of the debris in the wilderness area we are cleaning originated in your brewery.

We anxiously await your response and hope that we can work together in the future in keeping our public areas clean and worthy of visiting.

If you could send us a list of your customers, we would invite them too.

Your local geocachers

Trash-out, EVERYtime

"And I asked myself, 'Why is he sprinkling dirt on his GPSr?' "

September 23, 2003

That was good GeoCan! I went and picked up a bunch of trash at one of my caches today. But driving around my city today, Riverside, I noticed just a lot of trash everywhere. I got tired of it so I emailed the City Manager and Mayor explaining my frustrations over this in the city, hopefully I'll hear back from them.

I need help removing a couch and some chairs from a site, volunteers?

Firehouse16 & Code3

"Dave, Teresa & the 2 kids"

[This message was edited by Firehouse16 & Code3 on September 23, 2003 at 12:25 PM.]

Beer Cans and Bottles

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