Recycling the Burn

More Black Rock City residents caught on to recycling during Burning Man this year, according to a new report of the 2010 Reno-Sparks-Wadsworth Recycling Project. While there were more people at Burning Man this year, there also appeared to be more recycling in general. “Recycling numbers are up on average approximately 25 percent over 2009 (while Black Rock City’s population was up by 18 percent),” the report stated.

Recycling drop-offs for post-Burning Man plastics, metals, glass, cardboard, bikes, batteries, compost and other materials were operated by area Save Marts, Whole Foods and Trash Pros. The $2,388 raised from the recyclables is being donated to nonprofit solar installers Black Rock Solar. Bicycles have been donated to the Kiwanis Bike Project in Reno-Sparks and to the American Legion Bike Project in Fernley-Wadsworth.

The total numbers for materials collected:

Plastics: 8,360 cubic feet; Metals: 1,687 cubic feet; Glass: 1,036 cubic feet; Cardboard: 2,989 cubic feet; Bicycles: 137; Batteries: 115 pounds; Water/food: 6.5 pallets