Disposing of waste in paradise

[Brent Swain]

I fill/ballast the bottles with seawater.... and spike the cans.

Cardboard is an issue as some is 'plasticised' and can't go over.... and the rest probably takes a long time to biodegrade. But we don't have that much... mainly empty beer boxes .... anyway it can all be packed flat and retained on board. It was aboard before you took the cans out so it can stay aboard after the cans have been consumed. One thing I have never ever had is cockroach issues with cardboard... maybe thats a tropical thing?

Yes, cockroaches dont survive a northern winter.
Cardboard is mainly wood fibre ,which has been falling in the ocean for as long as trees have been around.

 

[Ric]

You can save an a great deal of waste by repacking food supplies before a cruise. For example, all rice, pasta, oats, dried fruit, cereals, teabags, coffee I remove from their cardboard or plastic packaging and store in large plastic waterproof screw top containers which I store in saloon lockers. I decant smaller amounts (say a week supply) into smaller containers which are more convenient in the galley.

Dairy products also all have individual tupperware boxes in the fridge, so I can dispose of all packaging before I leave.

I buy UHT milk in plastic bottles which when empty I wash and store in the bilges. Any that I don't use for other purposes get chucked away when I can get to decent shore disposal.

 

[capnsensible]

Yes, cockroaches dont survive a northern winter.
Cardboard is mainly wood fibre ,which has been falling in the ocean for as long as trees have been around.

Cockroaches can withstand extremely cold temperatures, allowing them to live in the Arctic. Some species are capable of surviving temperatures of −188 °F (−122 °C) by manufacturing an antifreeze made out of glycerol.[

 

[Swanrad2]

I even switched to roll-ups from cigarettes when sailing - a leaf and some paper, rather than filters. I am a little superstitious and throwing anything except food stuff over the side when sailing seemed.....disrespectful, daft I know.

If you have enough power on board, I have wondered about those vacuum packed bags sold for towels and the like to shrink volume and hold the smell inside.