Recycling Program

I took the family camping north of the French for thanksgiving. We managed to get a few ruffed grouse. As I always do, I picked up my empty hulls and put them in my vest pocket. Once back at our camp I put the empties in the garbage. My son saw this and asked: “why isn’t there a recycling program for empty shells?”

He went on to say that Cabelas, bass pro and other retailers should offer a recycling program for empty hulls in good shape. Hunters would bring in used shells and would in turn get a rebate on new shells. The retailers could sell the shells in good shape to reloaders, or send them back to the manufacturer for recycling.

With his 11 year old eyes, he just couldn’t understand why some people would leave their emptied plastic shells to disintegrate and pollute the bush for years. He wisely compared his idea to bottle/can returns at the beer store.

So what do you all think? Is it possible?

Shot shells are made of both plastic and brass,right? As such,they're considered contaminated waste unsuitable for recycling unless someone is willing to cut them apart,remove the spent primer and recycle each item separately. For sure,a recycling company isn't about to do that,so,it's into the land fill they go.

Unfortunately if there's no profit to be made either from selling the end materials or by government contract, nobody is going to do anything.

The process wouldn't be difficult with modern equipment they would just grind them up and separate metals from plastic with a water bath or a high speed sorting machine similar to the processes used for electronic waste.

More and more people are getting into re-loading due to the high cost of ammo. I'll bet they'd be glad to take empty hulls and spent brass off our hands.

it is a great idea and to some extent it does happen. i use to work at one of the biggest metal recycling plants/ scrap yards in canada, we would always get in rifle shells tank shells etc from the Army. We did take shotgun shells but i think they stopped taking them because no one wanted to buy them because they would have to strip all the plastic off of each one before you got to the copper or brass. then once you do get to it its not that much in weight anyways.

hopefully this sheds a little light lol. everything is about money, if it costs them more to strip them than it will to sell theres no point.

Design it out,not sort it out.

BIOAMMO -available at your closest sporting goods store .
A bit pricier then the average..but hey

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Originally Posted by gbk

Design it out,not sort it out.

BIOAMMO -available at your closest sporting goods store .
A bit pricier then the average..but hey

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Haha "new design" made completely from cardboard plastic free.

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Originally Posted by dean.f

Haha "new design" made completely from cardboard plastic free.

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Back to the Future. Marty McFly (sic) would be proud. I remember the Dominion and Canuck brand shells my Dad used to buy. In fact,I still remember that unmistakeable aroma they used to have. It's funny how old memories can come flooding back.

I think it's a great idea of bringing them back to the store, Bass Pro, Cabellas etc. Even if the price was minimal that you'd be getting or nothing at all other than being eco friendly if they were to set up a program like that. Chances are it would bring you back to the store and chances are you're going to but something...

It might not be cost effective in regards to recycling but from a business point of view it would be a good conservation effort to promote their product(s).
The OFAH should push this idea and offer a Points Card whereas you hand in X number of empty hulls to gain enough points to get a free item or a discount towards something from the sponsor corporations that get on board ? Good for the environment and good for sales ?

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Originally Posted by Birdbuff

I took the family camping north of the French for thanksgiving. We managed to get a few ruffed grouse. As I always do, I picked up my empty hulls and put them in my vest pocket. Once back at our camp I put the empties in the garbage. My son saw this and asked: “why isn’t there a recycling program for empty shells?”

He went on to say that Cabelas, bass pro and other retailers should offer a recycling program for empty hulls in good shape. Hunters would bring in used shells and would in turn get a rebate on new shells. The retailers could sell the shells in good shape to reloaders, or send them back to the manufacturer for recycling.

With his 11 year old eyes, he just couldn’t understand why some people would leave their emptied plastic shells to disintegrate and pollute the bush for years. He wisely compared his idea to bottle/can returns at the beer store.

So what do you all think? Is it possible?

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I can't see why it shouldn't be. I was looking for 10 gauge hulls a few years back, and I checked with a Ballistic Product distributor out west, and manage to purchase once fired hauls he had in stock. Since you raised the issue I would dearly wish that along with beer cans and bottles. They would offer a recycling program where a rebate is offered on plastic soda and water bottles as well as empty coffee and Frosty cups that continue to litter our streets.

You don't stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut