Attendees of Burning Man have left the Black Rock Desert and that means, all of their trash is coming with them so they Leave No Trace.
With the thousands of people looking for a place to dispose of their left over items properly, several disposal sites have been set up around Northern Nevada.
"If we hadn't found it here, then we would have had to find a container somewhere and just toss it," said James Guthre, from Switzerland.
For the last couple of days, Burners have been bringing their week's worth of trash from the desert and throwing it away, the proper way at Waste Management's Fernley Transfer Station.
Guthre adds, "There's a lot of trash that you produce over a week."
To prevent illegal dumping and littering on the roadside, Waste Management has extended its hours so all of this garbage doesn't end up in the wrong spot.
Kendra Kostelecky, with Waste Management said, "We don't think that burners are trying to stuff commercial dumpsters illegally. We think they don't have anywhere else to put it. So this provides that answer, that solution for them."
There are no trash cans at Burning Man, so that means a lot of garbage can build up quickly.
Cat Ching, from Los Angeles, California said, "Rather than just dump it and leave it for someone else to have a problem, we can all do our part to just make it a little easier for everyone in general. It's better for the environment."
That's what Whole Foods Market in South Reno hopes to accomplish, with another disposal site set up for plastic, glass and trash.
Ellie McCutcheon, from San Francisco said, "We're trying to recycle and spread out our recycling and our trash. So that's really useful that this is here."
Non-profits like the Kiwanis Club are also collecting donations, like bicycles left over from the playa.
Brian Campbell, with Whole Foods Market said, "They will get them all cleaned up and they will actually take the bikes to disadvantaged in the community and also resell them next year to the burners as well."
Recycling at all of the collection sites are free and trash will cost you a couple of dollars, but burners say its worth it to keep the environment clean.
More Information:
Fernley Transfer Station: The extended hours will begin at 2:00 PM on Sunday, September 4th. The transfer station will then remain open 24 hours a day until 4:30 PM Tuesday, September 6th. Regular rates will apply during the extended hours. The transfer station is located at 1100 HWY 95A in Fernley.
Sage Transfer Station, at 1390 Commercial Row, will also be open Saturday and Sunday 8:00 to 4:30 PM & Monday 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Lockwood Landfill will be closed during the holiday weekend.
Other Locations: http://survival.burningman.org/leave-no-trace/pack-it-out/
