Garbage Management
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K9Kampers
- Admiral
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Re: Garbage Management
I hope you're not serious about that. I disagree with the approach of tossing inorganic trash overboard because it is convenient / diposable. Litter is litter...disrespecting the enviroment that you are participating in. Consider the impact of the PLA during it's 6 mo. - 2 yr. breakdown, unsightly trash, animal ingestion,... It may be OK to dump your PLA, paper & soup cans in your front yard in CA, but please don't practice that in the Chesapeake!mastreb wrote:... PLA biodegradeable plastic ware that I don't feel badly about over boarding if necessary...
...Steel cans and paper trash are fine to dumpoverboard--they'll be gone in months. Glass likewise is harmless. When you have to use plastic, use PLA which biodegrades in about six months.
- Sumner
- Admiral
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Re: Garbage Management
I guess I've never understood the 'what to do with the trash' thing. A person has room on the boat to take on food in containers, packaging and such. Once the food is out of the packaging the packaging can be compacted and made smaller so should take up less room than when it held something so should be easy to haul out with you. We put waste back into...

.... the 5 gallon buckets with the screw on sealed lids so there is no smell or such,
Sum
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Our MacGregor 26-S
Our Endeavour 37
Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
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.... the 5 gallon buckets with the screw on sealed lids so there is no smell or such,
Sum
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Our MacGregor 26-S
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Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
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- sunshinecoasting
- First Officer
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- Location: Sunshine Coast Queensland Australia - "Entropy" Nissan 50 CDI Furling Jib
Re: Garbage Management
I second this, if you did that down here in Australia the locals would keel haul you, if you got caught by someone more official then a keel hauling would look good. Our waters are pristine for the most part, especially where I live, have you seen what plastics do to loggerhead or green turtles? Man I can't believe we share the same ocean.K9Kampers wrote:I hope you're not serious about that. I disagree with the approach of tossing inorganic trash overboard because it is convenient / diposable. Litter is litter...disrespecting the enviroment that you are participating in. Consider the impact of the PLA during it's 6 mo. - 2 yr. breakdown, unsightly trash, animal ingestion,... It may be OK to dump your PLA, paper & soup cans in your front yard in CA, but please don't practice that in the Chesapeake!mastreb wrote:... PLA biodegradeable plastic ware that I don't feel badly about over boarding if necessary...
...Steel cans and paper trash are fine to dumpoverboard--they'll be gone in months. Glass likewise is harmless. When you have to use plastic, use PLA which biodegrades in about six months.
- mastreb
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Re: Garbage Management
We have not dumped overboard as yet, because we have never been at sea long enough to need to. I have lived at sea for years however, where its impossible to retain trash aboard. All blue water vessels dump trash at sea as a matter of necessity. My point is merely that if you're going to do it, don't dump materials that are not biodegradable.
Dumping is not legal inside the 3nm limit anyway.
Dumping is not legal inside the 3nm limit anyway.
- topcat0399
- First Officer
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Re: Garbage Management
K9Kampers wrote:I hope you're not serious about that. I disagree with the approach of tossing inorganic trash overboard because it is convenient / diposable. Litter is litter...disrespecting the enviroment that you are participating in. Consider the impact of the PLA during it's 6 mo. - 2 yr. breakdown, unsightly trash, animal ingestion,... It may be OK to dump your PLA, paper & soup cans in your front yard in CA, but please don't practice that in the Chesapeake!mastreb wrote:... PLA biodegradeable plastic ware that I don't feel badly about over boarding if necessary...
...Steel cans and paper trash are fine to dumpoverboard--they'll be gone in months. Glass likewise is harmless. When you have to use plastic, use PLA which biodegrades in about six months.
I had the same gut reaction.
All through seafaring history everything unwanted went over the side -
before the advent of oil/plastic no big deal.
In the industrial age its more like crapping in our bed.
As Sum pointed out there was room aboard for the items the trash contained -
it is only a matter of will that there isn't room post consumption.
I get it that only impatient people think Styrofoam isn't biodegradable but...
- Gypsy Life
- Deckhand
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- Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2012 12:16 pm
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- Location: Montgomery Alabama
Re: Garbage Management
topcat0399 wrote:K9Kampers wrote:I hope you're not serious about that. I disagree with the approach of tossing inorganic trash overboard because it is convenient / diposable. Litter is litter...disrespecting the enviroment that you are participating in. Consider the impact of the PLA during it's 6 mo. - 2 yr. breakdown, unsightly trash, animal ingestion,... It may be OK to dump your PLA, paper & soup cans in your front yard in CA, but please don't practice that in the Chesapeake!mastreb wrote:... PLA biodegradeable plastic ware that I don't feel badly about over boarding if necessary...
...Steel cans and paper trash are fine to dumpoverboard--they'll be gone in months. Glass likewise is harmless. When you have to use plastic, use PLA which biodegrades in about six months.
I had the same gut reaction.
All through seafaring history everything unwanted went over the side -
I third this !!!! Glass lasts nearly forever and is dangerous to feet for many years . Steel last for years before rusting away . Paper is organic and okay .
Nobody EVER should toss glass , plastic , or aluminum overboard !!! This is trash and will eventually wash up on a beach . I don't want to look at your garbage ! I don't want to cut my foot on a bottle , YOU tossed overboard .
Organic material such as food scraps are acceptable . Either something will eat it or it will decompose rapidly .
Glass and plastic is forever !
before the advent of oil/plastic no big deal.
In the industrial age its more like crapping in our bed.
As Sum pointed out there was room aboard for the items the trash contained -
it is only a matter of will that there isn't room post consumption.
I get it that only impatient people think Styrofoam isn't biodegradable but...
- Gypsy Life
- Deckhand
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- Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2012 12:16 pm
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: Montgomery Alabama
Re: Garbage Management
mastreb wrote:We generate a lot of trash because we don't carry dinner service aboard. We use all paper disposable cups and plates along with PLA biodegradeable plastic ware that I don't feel badly about over boarding if necessary. When camping ashore, we burn the paper trash. While we don't have a grill, one could easily incinerate paper trash in a magma as well.
We separate trash into safe and hazardous for dumping overboard, and use a plastic bag for plastic and a garbage pail for dump able that gets reused.
Just don't take plastic with you and you'll solve 90% of your trash dumping problem. Unpackage new items begfore bringing them aboard. Steel cans and paper trash are fine to dumpoverboard--they'll be gone in months. Glass likewise is harmless. When you have to use plastic, use PLA which biodegrades in about six months.
Plan whether you'll be dumping ashore (use plastic bags) or at sea (use a garbage pail with a lid and separate. Makes it simple and its easy to teach.
We dove love our little Costco bottled water though. Still don't use the onboard water system because of the plastic taste.
Thought about this all day !
You are particular about the taste of your water , yet you don't mind dumping your garbage overboard , for all of us to enjoy when it washes up on our beaches ?
If I say anything more the administrators will delete my post !
- dlandersson
- Admiral
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Re: Garbage Management
Perhaps you should feel a bit more badly about it.
If you are serious, please do not plan to sail on Lake Michigan anytime soon.
If you are serious, please do not plan to sail on Lake Michigan anytime soon.
mastreb wrote:We generate a lot of trash because we don't carry dinner service aboard. We use all paper disposable cups and plates along with PLA biodegradeable plastic ware that I don't feel badly about over boarding if necessary. When camping ashore, we burn the paper trash. While we don't have a grill, one could easily incinerate paper trash in a magma as well.
We separate trash into safe and hazardous for dumping overboard, and use a plastic bag for plastic and a garbage pail for dump able that gets reused.
Just don't take plastic with you and you'll solve 90% of your trash dumping problem. Unpackage new items begfore bringing them aboard. Steel cans and paper trash are fine to dumpoverboard--they'll be gone in months. Glass likewise is harmless. When you have to use plastic, use PLA which biodegrades in about six months.
Plan whether you'll be dumping ashore (use plastic bags) or at sea (use a garbage pail with a lid and separate. Makes it simple and its easy to teach.
We dove love our little Costco bottled water though. Still don't use the onboard water system because of the plastic taste.
- yukonbob
- Admiral
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- Location: Whitehorse Yukon
Re: Garbage Management
My rule is simple…if you would eat it or would have eaten it (its gone bad) then it can go overboard. I know paper will eventually break down within a few weeks, but it burns a lot faster. Plastic and glass get saved til disposed of. But to put things into perspective almost everything is legal to dump into our oceans as long as its chopped up small enough; I believe that the min is 1sq inch? the further out you get the more you can dump and big ships do this all the time in a lot larger scale than most of us can imagine.
It's funny when you hit the smaller communities down the coast and outsiders are wandering around with a bag of garbage asking where the dumpster is…when you tell them it's the bonfire on the beach, they don't believe you until you ask them where else is it going to go?
It's funny when you hit the smaller communities down the coast and outsiders are wandering around with a bag of garbage asking where the dumpster is…when you tell them it's the bonfire on the beach, they don't believe you until you ask them where else is it going to go?
- Russ
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Re: Garbage Management
That's what I love about you sumner, you always put things into perspective.Sumner wrote:I guess I've never understood the 'what to do with the trash' thing. A person has room on the boat to take on food in containers, packaging and such. Once the food is out of the packaging the packaging can be compacted and made smaller so should take up less room than when it held something so should be easy to haul out with you. We put waste back into...
.... the 5 gallon buckets with the screw on sealed lids so there is no smell or such,
Sum
===================================
Our MacGregor 26-S
Our Endeavour 37
Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
Mactst-Venture Links
So now it's time to find those nice containers.
Re: Garbage Management
I know it been said before....common sense is not actually that common!!! Take responsibility for your actions and don't stuff up the environment any more than you can help
- Gypsy Life
- Deckhand
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Re: Garbage Management
We noticed this weekend , that at least a 1,000 people came and went from this little sandbar we are anchored near . Yet there is very little trash left on it .
Yet , on our home river , the Alabama River , Montgomery Ala , the local sandbar hangout gets less traffic , but more litter . Our river sandbar , on a Monday , is covered with beer cans, water bottles , and diapers .
Today , Monday , this island is fairly clean . It has to be a different culture down here , that doesn't believe in pooping in its nest .
Same with boats . You bring it out , bring it back in . Unless its organic and will be gone in a day or so , do not throw it in the water .
Styrofoam is good for about 500 years
A cigarette butt , lasts about 3 years
Glass is forever , it will break down into smaller and smaller chunks , but only after 100s of years .
A beer can , might as well say , forever .
Steel , many , many years .
Plastic , might as well say forever on that one as well .
You had room to take it out , you got room to bring it back .
I know the cruise ships dump garbage in the ocean , Atlanta used to dump its sewage in the river , doesn't make either one right , just means they can get away with it.
Yet , on our home river , the Alabama River , Montgomery Ala , the local sandbar hangout gets less traffic , but more litter . Our river sandbar , on a Monday , is covered with beer cans, water bottles , and diapers .
Today , Monday , this island is fairly clean . It has to be a different culture down here , that doesn't believe in pooping in its nest .
Same with boats . You bring it out , bring it back in . Unless its organic and will be gone in a day or so , do not throw it in the water .
Styrofoam is good for about 500 years
A cigarette butt , lasts about 3 years
Glass is forever , it will break down into smaller and smaller chunks , but only after 100s of years .
A beer can , might as well say , forever .
Steel , many , many years .
Plastic , might as well say forever on that one as well .
You had room to take it out , you got room to bring it back .
I know the cruise ships dump garbage in the ocean , Atlanta used to dump its sewage in the river , doesn't make either one right , just means they can get away with it.
- WASP18
- First Officer
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Re: Garbage Management
My former ship burned everything in an incinerator. I thought most ships did that.
