The big toss-out: should we care more about cable recycling?

Honestly, I was cleaning out my truck after a week of jobs and saw a pile of old coaxial ends and cut-offs. It got me thinking about how much plastic we throw away. Some guys I talk to say we should separate all scrap and send it to recycling centers, even if it takes extra time. Tbh, I tried that on a few sites, and the bosses weren't happy with the slowdown. On the other hand, many techs argue that our focus should be on speed and quality, not sorting trash. They say the materials are too mixed to recycle well anyway. Ngl, I'm torn because I hate waste, but I also need to hit my targets. What's your take on balancing green habits with getting the job done right?

3 comments

3 Comments

paul7741mo ago

Keep a bin in your truck just for the clean cut-offs, toss it at a scrapyard once a month. Bosses don't notice the extra thirty seconds, and you're still doing something about the waste.

the_thea1mo ago

Yeah, being torn between hitting targets and cutting waste is real. I get that. Paul774's bin idea is pretty smart for the small stuff. I try to save the bigger, clean copper pieces separately too, but it's the little plastic bits that pile up. What's your take on saving just the wire versus the whole cable end?

terry_thomas24d ago

Honestly, that whole wire-versus-cable-end debate feels like a lot of life's little choices (like saving every condiment packet). Paul774's bin trick is the kind of small system that actually works, because it's simple. For me, if the connector's mostly plastic, I just strip it out; the copper scrap weight adds up faster without the junk.