Except for tire tracks and footprints, our policy is to leave the desert as the profoundly barren and empty corner of the world that it is. All Black Rock City citizens are expected to participate in our clean-up effort.
There are no trash cans at Burning Man. All participants are required to remove their trash and from the playa. Moreover, Leave No Trace should extend beyond the playa, all the way to your home.
And most importantly: “If it wasn’t in your body, don’t put it in the potty.”
Recycling On Playa
Recycling is cheap, easy, and the benefits are immeasurable. We encourage everyone to separate and recycle their garbage as much as possible, and to dispose of the trash and recyclable material appropriately.
You can drop off aluminum cans at Recycle Camp located on the Center Camp circle, or look out for one of their funky collection mobiles (shopping carts towed by bikes) wending their way throughout the city.
Recycling and Garbage Disposal After the Event
Do NOT discard refuse along the highway or in neighboring towns. Not only is littering irresponsible and costly in terms of energy, time, and money for others, it is also illegal and reflects very badly on Burning Man. If you have to carry garbage on top of your vehicle, make sure it is double-bagged and strapped down securely.
Many communities along the routes from Black Rock City have Recycling centers and trash disposal locations, and many of those are open 24 hours a day. You can find a list of them in the Leave Nevada Beautiful section of the Survival Guide.
Remember: LEAVE NO TRACE!