Being a devoted recycler since the 70s, one of my regrets when vacationing in VI is how much I wind up throwing in the trash. I understand the economics of scale complicating being able to recycle on an island, but just what happens to all the waste? I've seen some islands simply open burn out of site of tourists. I shop with an eye to minimizing waste, but this only gets my guilt lightly relieved. My month on St.T tends to undo my 11 months at home. Thoughts?

You could bring a couple of extra suitcases and bring all your recyclables back to Minnesota.

There is a landfill. Cars are separated and squashed into cubes (like in Goldfinger)and shipped off. Waste Management had some federal funds for recycling a few years ago. They set up spots for folks to bring their goodies and you were paid some small amount. It was so successful that they ran out of money in 3 months and stopped it. Everyone was begging for them to continue without paying people, but of course, they weren't getting any money from the feds anymore. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

My luck, if I re-packed my recyclables and tried to take them home with me, they'd fall out of the plane, someone would find my name on some of it, and it would be Alice's Restaurant all over again! This January, I'm at least bringing my own shopping bags with.

My wife and I have been practicing "reduce, reuse, recycle" for 50 years now, so I understand your pain. In the islands, though, the economies of scale do not just "complicate" things. They make it completely infeasible.

Like it or not, you just have to accept the fact that your waste is going to go into a landfill, or an incinerator, or be dumped off-shore. That's just the way it is.

Love that Alice's restaurant comment! We also bring/use our own shopping bags. Remember to keep that draft card on your person at all times and "you can have anything you want..." except Alice.