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Liquids Surrendered At Airport Security: Is There An Afterlife?
Ever looked at the mountain of liquids (or, in my case, that luscious, unopened jar of dulce de leche, and countless yogurts) accumulated at airport security and wondered where they end up? Yeah, me too. I've always hoped they go to charity and the water bottles recycled, because I have a bit of an idealist streak beneath my jaded exterior.Our friend Andy Bender over at Forbes helped get to the bottom of this tricky question, and the answers are somewhat surprising. Rather than being palmed by greasy-haired or hungry TSA agents (cause for immediate termination), large airports divvy up the booty by category and dispose of it accordingly, although smaller volume airports may just lump it as trash.
If you lie awake nights pondering the fate of your spendy conditioner or lotion, here's the breakdown:
- Liquids are sorted by type (sunscreen, shampoo, alcohol, contact lens solution, etc.) and emptied into hazmat barrels, which are then collected by waste management companies. They're disposed of according to environmental regulations (Forbes reports that "water-based solutions are sent to a waste water treatment facility or waste energy recovery facility aka trash-to-stream plant."
- Alcohol ends up being treated at fuel-blending facilities because it's flammable.
- Large quantities of bottles are "chipped" and recycled, but not smaller volumes, which go to the landfill.
For more information on current regulations taking liquids in carry-on, click here. And here's a tip: by carrying a refillable water bottle, you help reduce the 1.5 million barrels of oil required for U.S. plastic water bottle production each year.
Gallery: Strange items prohibited by the TSA
[Photo credit: Flickr user stevendepolo]
Filed under: Learning, Business, Food and Drink, North America, United States, Airlines, Airports, News, Consumer Activism
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Emland Jul 11th 2012 2:45PM
I worked for the TSA back when it was first started 2002 - 2003. Each evening when the checkpoint closed (our airport last flight out was 8:30 pm) an agent would take down a box about the size of a small shoebox to the LEO office in the basement full of scissors, files, knives et al that had been confiscated. I asked what happened to them. Was told they would end up in a warehouse somewhere and eventually be auctioned off in 10 years or so as "abandoned."
I suggested to my supervisor that the TSA offer envelopes and if the passenger wanted their stuff, they could pay a flat fee and have it mailed back to them. I was told that was "unworkable."
Jack Jul 12th 2012 8:53AM
In other words they are too damn lazy to do it.
Yaneo Jul 12th 2012 10:25AM
I thought the very thing; legally, they are the possessions of the airline passenger; although most people know what to bring and what not to bring, mistakes happen. If they were my items and were confiscated, I would gladly pay for the postage to have them returned to me.
You should be applauded for your idea. Good for you.
Scotnovel Jul 12th 2012 11:48AM
I used to fly out of DFW and 5 or 6 years ago there were envelopes that passengers could use to mail these small items to yourself. I haven't flown much lately but it may be that this was an idea that was, in fact, tried but turned out to not be that successful so was abandoned. Or, perhaps for some reason it is only available at certain airports. I don't know it is was TSA sponsored or something the airline did.
meddjay Jul 12th 2012 11:27AM
Did you work in Phoenix? Because if not, then that suggestion was probably made in every major city airport all over the United States and was equally shot down in each city, I heard it in 2002 myself and I was in the first TSA graduating class after 9/11.
basketpam Jul 12th 2012 12:09PM
Of course it's unworkable, that means the TSA couldn't pocket the things they want or keep all this extra money. I watched a documentary on the TSA and airport security places and the TSA gathers BARRELS of nail clippers and the most BIZARRE stuff they confiscate from passengers. I would still like to know how someone hijacks a plane with a pair of nail clippers. There are some things which obviously should not be allowed on any flight. These are guns, knives, etc. But some of the things, like nail clippers, are just a sign of massive overcompensation and show the lack of common sense among those who make the rules. I'm still trying to understand how they took control of planes with box cutters. Yes, they can definitely cut someone but unlike a gun several large men should be able to take down a person with a box cutter. Thankfully now we've learned NOT to be cooperative and just do what these people want. If the all of crews and passengers had fought back on that horrible day knowing what was happening life might be very different now. So that brings me back to the original question, just how do you hijack a plane with a nail clipper? Don't you think several passengers would be able to control someone and get it away from them?
joellen Jul 12th 2012 4:11PM
Anything that makes sense is "unworkable" when you're dealing with bureaucracy. That's because they've compiled a list of "rules", both to justify their jobs, and to account for their actions. If common sense solutions are presented, they never fit into those "lists". You can apply that across the board, all the way to our national government and how it "works".
Bob Jul 21st 2012 8:50PM
Cleveland Hopkins at one time had a "Postal Service" to mail these type of items back to yourself.......$30 - $80 and more. Some "entrapraneur" that had influence tried this price gouging tactic.
xnlover Jul 12th 2012 6:33PM
I used to wonder why they didn't just put those things in a staffed display kiosk at the exit, so that people who had given up their nail files at the previous airport could purchase a replacement at the destination for a buck or two, helping pay for the worker to staff the kiosk and giving a more immediate replacement for the implement that was relinquished rather than making the person have to seek out a store in an unfamiliar town where another could be purchased. Bureaucrats - whether they're in government or business or whatever - are too dense to figure out problems ahead of time, let alone solutions to those problems that will head off the possibility of increasing burdens on already overburdened fellow human beings.
Ms.SBauer Jul 13th 2012 12:35AM
many years ago took a flight out of the RENO/TAHOE airport...had my deseased husbands money clip with a small nail file and sissors (1")...they took it away from me but offered me a padded envelope and let me send it to myself...was very greatful for that :)
angela wesley Jul 13th 2012 4:27AM
Interesting, that is exactly what they offered for me to do when I had my souvenir lighter from Washington DC. .... although the cost to mail my lighter back to myself would have cost me over $20 and I would have missed my flight. I surrendered the lighter to the agent, my displeasure noted, the agent took my lighter and said he was going to put it in the "safe", walked over to another area where there appeared to be some type of "safe", he opened it up and then closed it, but while he was walking away, I could see him place the lighter in his pocket. I am not saying that all agents are like this, but THIS one was.
jessie @ wanderingeducators Jul 11th 2012 10:25PM
Really interesting - I've always wondered. It seems like SUCH a waste, doesn't it?
cathy Jul 12th 2012 8:07AM
you can thank your government. everything they do costs more money than they have and it always has an untended negative consequence.
Vicki Jul 12th 2012 7:29AM
The terrorists are winning and they don't even need to bomb anything. Our lives have been so disrupted and inconvenienced, so much money is spent, they just need to sit back and laugh.
mrl7265 Jul 12th 2012 7:43AM
Vicki, How soon you forget. The terrorist did bomb something. Remember 9/11? When 9/11 happened everyone screamed for more security. Now everyone complains. You only see the negative things on the news. You don't see all the things TSA officers find and stop from getting on planes. Are there some bad apples within TSA? Sure there are, but there are bad apples in every occupation in this country (Doctors, Lawyers, Priests, Clergy) You name it, the list goes on. Those TSA officers work hard to keep the traveling public safe and continuously get disrespected. I am getting on a plane tomorrow and am more than happy to know TSA is there to make sure I am safe!!
tim Jul 12th 2012 9:25AM
Dear Vicki,
I am sad that you feel this way I work for TSA in Houston if you only knew all of the real stuff that goes on maybe you would change your mind. You only hear what the news wants you to hear I don't always agree with the way the government runs things either or how you should be screened. I have worked here for over 8 years now I respect any and everyone that I come in contact with I really enjoy people everyone has a story. Every day our job is at stake I treat you like the way I would like to be treated with respect. There are those who feel inconvenced be cause we took away their hair gel or the line is to long. The rules are not that hard if people read the signs of what to do and how to do it. I have to do the same when me and my family flies i am a passanger like anyone else the last thing I want is another 911. I am a person just like you I have bills to pay I put on my pants one leg at a time I am not god nor am I any better than the rest of the people just have patiance and respect us after all I have for you.
Mark Jul 12th 2012 1:30PM
They do allow you to exit the line and go to a mail kiosk. Its no fun because you have to go thru the lines again. I can't imagine the backup that would be caused by the TSA folks handling mailing duties.
Doug Jul 13th 2012 12:50AM
Departing SAN after my brother's funeral with my adult daughter and teenage son, my daughter had not packed her "make-up" bag. It was inspected and everything was approved to take on the flight. Due to weather we had a 4 hour lay over at ORD. My daughter felt she had to have a smoke and had to leave the terminal to do that. When she returned a female TSA agent dumped her make-up bag out picked up several items and broke the lids saying "oh! I'm so sorry" then throwing them in a large box lined with a plastic bag. When she got to my daughter's perfume, which had been aproved in SAN the agent claimed they were not allowed. My son that was waiting for his sister watched the agent take the perfume bottles and put them in her purse. When he tried to point this out to another TSA agent he was threatened with arrest for interfering with a TSA agent. He had taken several pictures with his phone of the agent taking the bottles and I sent them along with a complaint to the address my Congressman provided. I never heard a thing or even an acknowledgement of my letter.
Inspector Fenwick Jul 12th 2012 7:53AM
This is a travesty.
If you need further confirmation that the TSA is a useless organization, look at how they treat these 'potentially lethal' liquids at the security theater line--all are simply tossed into a bin for later collection.
If these items WERE in fact explosives (or deadly in any way), and the TSA knows or suspects it, wouldn't they be handled as such instead of being placed in simple trash receptacles right next to the checkpoints???
Jacj Jul 12th 2012 8:52PM
You miss the entire point. If you can't get a yogurt or a half bottle of water on board a jet, the chances of you getting an explosive charge on board is very small, If the TSA was not there to do this ridiculous job, planes would have been falling out of the sky all over the place. I thank each and every one of them for the service they do every day.