Recycling

[andyperkins]

I happened to catch the HBO show Too Hot Not to Handle this weekend. It really helped me to see the big picture on the issue and I am taking more action around the house to be more conscience of the environmental issues I have a direct impact over.

Then this morning, I get a Google News alert that there is a story in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer about US Airways going with Coca-Cola for the soft drinks choice, Philip Gee is quoted in saying we expect our customers to consume 39.5 million cans of product in 2006.

I’m wondering why we don’t have a recycle program. 39.5 Million Cans are expected to be dumped into the trash? Every morning we must collect thousands of newspapers and they all get tossed into the trash along with the plastic cups we serve beverages in.

There must be a system in place to pick-up the recycle collection in PHL Airport, and I see the recycle bins in every airport we fly into these days. Aren’t there tax breaks or something for companies who recycle?

Our Aircraft all have the space to collect/separate the stuff. It’s the same trash we collect currently, we just need to separate it. What couldn’t be recycled would be taken off by utility like it is now, and maybe because we sort the stuff, it may only need to be pulled off every other flight on the short hops.

If I’m not mistaken, USA pays for refuse collection by the weight of the container. So there would be a huge reduction in that amount/cost as well, saving the company more money.

Did USA ever recycle?

 

[Whatnow?]

USAirways or USAir used to recycle aluminum cans onboard the A/C in the early to mid 90's. The F/A's used to use separate green plastic bags to pick up the cans. It worked, not sure why we stopped that program. If you notice, we still have some passengers that will ask you if they should separate the aluminum cans from the rest of their trash.

 

[TheNewLowFare]

We recycle cans in the west. It all goes to pegasus...

 

[pilot]

If it costs U money to recycle they won't do it.

If it saves money for U to recycle they will.

Simple as that. If they don't care about the employees why in the world would they care about the enviorment.

 

[LCC_#1]

We recycle cans in the west. It all goes to pegasus...

That's great!!

The word I got back East was that ironically the cost of recycling killed it. Now God only knows if that is true, but I just tell it like I here it.

Indeed, recycling is more feasible than before. We have room on the 319/320/321's to have seperate half trash carts for cans, paper, and plastic. The problem is that getting all groups on board. We have the stupidist outsourced cleaners on the east coast. They can't clean a plane properly. Do you think they will know to put different bags in different bins?

How does West do it?

 

[700UW]

When I was utility, we did recycle and the money went to charity, there was no cost to US as the Airport paid for the special dumpsters.

And before we recyled when I was working in Tampa, we had a mechanic who use to go through the trash and take out the cans, he ended up buying a tv, microwave, vcr and stuff for out maintenance breakrooms.

 

[hp_fa]

We recycle cans in the west. It all goes to pegasus...

Actually I think it is half to Pegusus and half to the catering company. Nonetheless, it is a good program for a good cause.

 

[TheNewLowFare]

If it costs U money to recycle they won't do it.

If it saves money for U to recycle they will.

Simple as that. If they don't care about the employees why in the world would they care about the enviorment.

Actually you are wrong. America west has always done alot for the charities and other organization. Just look at the DO CREW which is a great program for employees at hp which has now spread to the whole US Airways. hp fa is correct, half of the profit on the recycled cans go to Pegasus that helps injured crews. They do care and it does make a difference.

 

[N965VJ]

The old recycling program proceeds went to “Environmental Charitiesâ€￾ as per the announcement. From what I could tell, the organizations had political leanings that were not mine, so in the garbage the cans went.

I would often get chastised by coworkers for that, but it was an optional program.

I’d recycle for Pegasus, though. I recycle all my beer cans at home for the local Boy Scout troop that has a collection trailer in town.

And before we recyled when I was working in Tampa, we had a mechanic who use to go through the trash and take out the cans, he ended up buying a tv, microwave, vcr and stuff for out maintenance breakrooms.

He would do very well today, as the price of aluminum has been increasing. China is importing it, literally, by the boatload.

 

[andyperkins]

The old recycling program proceeds went to “Environmental Charitiesâ€￾ as per the announcement. From what I could tell, the organizations had political leanings that were not mine, so in the garbage the cans went.

I would often get chastised by coworkers for that, but it was an optional program.

I’d recycle for Pegasus, though. I recycle all my beer cans at home for the local Boy Scout troop that has a collection trailer in town.
He would do very well today, as the price of aluminum has been increasing. China is importing it, literally, by the boatload.

The money should go back into the company to offset the chance of more pay cuts, or even better, distributed to the employees who took pay cuts to keep the company flying.

 

[jimntx]

We recycle at AA. Half the proceeds go to our f/a charity, WINGS. The other half goes to the catering company employees. We are required to not only put the empties into separate inserts, we also have to be sure that the cans are all empty.

However, we have found out that not every catering station actually recycles. You have to have the caterer's cooperation in order for it to work.

Nevertheless, WINGS got something like $60,000 from the program last year. AND, more importantly, recycling aluminum is probably the single most effective thing that the individual can do to help the environment. It takes 97% less electricity to melt down an existing can than to refine an equivalent amount of new aluminum.

Go to your management. Ask why you don't have a program. Then ask how to start one.

 

[desertgal]

How does West do it?

Cans are given out on BOB flights on the first bev service.
That is followed by a trash pickup.
On the Airbus, (2 FAs performing the service) BOB is followed by trash pick up.
The 2nd FA takes out the trash cart along with 3 or 4 empty bev drawers on top.
Cans go in the drawers, cups get contents dumped in the cart, then they are stacked to conserve space in the trash cart. (trash management) When the stack gets too tall, it goes in the trash cart.
Sometimes on a two-beverage flight, FAs will give out the whole can (not HP service standard, but frequently seen).
Also in this case, the trash cart/bev drawer pick-up will be utilized.
Also, West FAs are frequently seen collecting trash w/2 bags, one for cans and the other for trash.
But the cans need to be put in drawers.
Memos have been put out stating catering will only recycle cans from the drawers.

We don't have a program for newspapers.
That would be nice to implement.

 

[BottomFeeder]

[
He would do very well today, as the price of aluminum has been increasing. China is importing it, literally, by the boatload.
[/quote]


I saw a billboard the other day that said .. the energy saved by recycling 1 aluminum can, would power a TV for 4 hours.

 

[desertgal]

Most West breakrooms also have a "Cans Only" garbage can.

 

[ringmaruf]

If it costs U money to recycle they won't do it.

If it saves money for U to recycle they will.

Simple as that. If they don't care about the employees why in the world would they care about the enviorment.

Someone wrote and asked Deborah Thompson why US didn't recycle in her "Your Turn" column in Attaché about 2 years ago I'd guess. She responded that it was because it cost US a ton of money; she gave a number, but I don't remember what it was, though I do remember thinking that it was indeed a lot of money.