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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 3 of 5)
Kate Jul 12th 2012 3:50PM
After being one pound overweight with body lotion and body wash being the culprit, they were confiscated...expensive items too. I don't check baggage anymore, I ship it to my destination via UPS...cheaper and arrives it my destination still locked and in good condition.
R.T.Bell Jul 12th 2012 10:36AM
fly united
tom Jul 12th 2012 11:22AM
fly united
Henry Jul 12th 2012 10:49AM
LOL, when these potentially explosive liquids are confiscated from the public you would think that the TSA would want to keep track which bottle of explosive liquid was confiscated from which potential terrorist passenger.
This would be handy information to have so when the bomb squad (LOL) later that day goes through its investigative process to screen each bottle to assess if it is actually an explosive liquid then they can track it back to that particular terrorist passenger (bull shit).
I guess by now you can sense my levity related to this matter I would love to know since the time TSA first started this confiscation policy to present day just how many bottles of explosive shampoo, hair conditioner, hand or face cream, or exploding shoes, shorts or associated lethal items have been discovered.
melinda Jul 12th 2012 10:49AM
I don't believe this at all. You can't tell me they don't take that stuff and sell it, or employees don't see something they wants and pocket it. It's theft. They should allow people to pay for it to be shipped or come by the airport and pick it up themselves. The airport probably makes a killing selling the item in bulk on ebay. They could use that to make tickets cheaper, at least the customers would benefit a little from it.
charlie Jul 12th 2012 10:49AM
I walked through security (almost) with a loaded Colt gold cup .45 and needless to say it was taken. what do you thing happened to it? surely it was disposed of properly, right?
Amazed Flyer Jul 12th 2012 11:34AM
It lists in the slide show that scissors are prohibited. That's not entirely true. I went through the TSA checkpoint once forgetting that I had a pair of scissors in my kit. When I was flagged for secondary inspection I remembered and said, "Go ahead and take 'em." The TSA agent said, "No, I just have to measure them." It turns out that if the scissors are less than six inches from the point to the fulcrum they are allowed on the plane. Mine were five and three quarters inches and they were allowed. I said, "Seriously???". He said, "Not if I were king but those are the rules."
Mary Jul 12th 2012 11:55AM
Why not place the confiscated items near the exit gate. Then when passengers get off and are leaving the airport, they can pick up something similar to what was confiscated when they boarded.
basketpam Jul 12th 2012 12:09PM
You will NEVER convince me that the expensive good stuff doesn't go home with TSA agents. Do they really think the public is that stupid to fall for their story of halos and angel's wings? It's about the same thing with the Goodwill. First their CEO makes a salary which anyone associated with a non-profit should feel ashamed and then, we've heard many accounts how multiple items go home with volunteers and never make it to the sales floor. This is why things like the good items from the TSA and all donations should go to the Salvation Army or a Rescue Mission.
Danielle Jul 13th 2012 4:58AM
Are you saying that a CEO of a non-profit should not make a salary? They should work for free? Being a CEO is slightly different than being a volunteer. Most CEO's have a college degree, a family to support and bills to pay, profit or non-profit.
Lynn444444 Jul 12th 2012 12:08PM
The TSA rules are mostly ridiculous. Confiscating guns, yes. But many other confiscated items are really stupid. I asked what happens to "stuff" collected. The agent told me the TSA employees take whatever antique knives etc., they want. He was proud he said, that he didn't confiscate some items like expensive perfumes some of the female employees asked him to (some were in 2 oz bottles but were half filled and the TSA employee made the decision to confiscate or not).
In Alaska at Alaska Airlines (four days ago) I learned that if you are under six years old or over 70 years old you don't have to remove your shoes. Finally, some sense.
And why not profile? Not all muslims are terrorists but all the airline terrorists were muslim men.
Pete Jul 12th 2012 12:15PM
Go to any flea market and it's all over the place
Jeff Belford Jul 12th 2012 12:36PM
HOLD YOUR BLATHERING! Let's point the blame for the need to take these items from travelers in the first place. Would we have a need to dispose of these items at all? Well what if the travelers FOLLOWED THE GUIDELINES and didn't try to board a plane with these prohibited items. Only an idiot or criminal would walk past the big sign that listed the prohibited items. If they really wanted these items then why didn't they turn around, and mail them to the hotel or friends at their destination? It is obvious that some people dwell on a topic until they find a problem, then whine about who is not to blame.
kit Jul 12th 2012 2:20PM
Hey Jeff- I suppose if they ban underwear you would be first in line. I never met such a sheeple in all my life. Opt in and enjoy the cancer in a few years.
Whittlea Jul 12th 2012 11:12PM
The rules don't make sense. My husband cannot take his nail clippers but it is legal per the TSA rules to take my 12 inch knitting needles on the airplane. Now my needles could do real damage to a person but I have trouble seeing an airplane going down due to clippers. And you can follow the rules and TSA can still get it wrong.
dave Jul 12th 2012 12:45PM
The other week I was traveling through and my luggage was overweight, I am a traveling technician and carry may tools and instruments. With the 50 lb weight limit it is very easy to overload a tool box, so, I put my battery drill in my back pack, about 7 lbs, I had to give it to the TSA, never had this problem before, so I doubted it. Went to TSA web site, and sure enough, battery drills are prohibited, go figure? Live and learn!
SuzanneDevlin Jul 12th 2012 1:27PM
The TSA wouldn't have been established if the Cheney Administration had been doing their job to protect Americans before 9/11.
Remember this from the Presidential Daily Briefings that were given to Condoleezza Rice that she and the President chose to ignore days before 9/11?
"Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US" was the President's Daily Brief prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency and given to U.S. President George W. Bush, Rice, etc. on August 6, 2001. The brief warned of terrorism threats from Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda 36 days before the September 11, 2001 attacks."
When questioned at the 9/11 hearings about why no action at all was taken with the information, Rice said she considered them only...... "historical documents." Well.........that proved to be prophetic, didn't it?
The thing is, the 9/11 terrorists used fishing line and box cutters not bottles of shampoo to commandeer the planes. Better if Ms. Rice, Bush, Cheney and the rest of that sleezy crew been doing their collective jobs.......looking out for the safety of Americans rather then dismissing and ignoring important CIA intelligence. Everyone has an opinion but the facts are the facts.
Today the horrors of what happened on 9/11 ARE historical documents thanks to the failings of the Cheney/bush Administration.
kit Jul 12th 2012 2:17PM
You are so right! Look up the company for the naked scanners- owned by Chenney. Bush and Chenney should be sewed for the thieves they really are. They started a war without congress against a country that did NOT attack us to profit off the dead that went to defend our country. They are Traitors and should be prosecuted.
al pambuena Jul 12th 2012 12:55PM
the tsa should not be allowed to confiscate anything, unless they give you a reembursement voucher, to recoup the cost of the item....whether it is q-tips, or a knife.
jon parmer Jul 12th 2012 12:57PM
i watched a tsa screener take several of my wifes hair care products get confiscated by a fat black female tsa screener and then placed aside by the screener instead of in the container they had for that purpose. she then joked to her fellow screener" damn i can use that sh**!" putting a uniform on a person like that and then giving them the authority to confiscate personal items is a license to steal! and they take full advantage of it! the tsa serves no purpose but to provide jobs for the unemployable, because they are too stupid to work as walmart greeters!