How do you reduce and store garbage?

[bradweston]

Storing garbage can be a bummer. How do you deal with it if you are out for awhile?

One thing I do is remove as much packaging as possible before I pack food. A lot of times items will be in a bag that is in a box, so I get rid of the box before I leave on a trip.

[zeehag]

ther are common sense things to do --as discussed in each and thread in each and every forum discussing htis--isnt a new topic--- send what feeds fishies and crabbies and such overboard. crush the rest and return to the earth that which disappears rapidly.

[boatman61]

Tins punctured and sunk..
Glass bottles sunk..
Cardboard and other biodegradables rendered small and over the side..
Plastic bottles etc crushed and bagged... no problem

[bradweston]

Yeah, Zeehag, I guess the storing garbage has been done a lot. Sorry. I was mostly interested in ideas about reducing the waste. At home it's easy to buy bigger packages of things and store the unused portion, thereby reducing packaging waste. But without refrigeration it looks like you may want many more, smaller packages. I was wondering if there were tips related to cutting down on waste. Maybe I'm over thinking it.

[zeehag]

i make sure everything i place into boat is in wet resistant and or bug proof sealed containers of some sort.
ziplock baggies and the lil cute disposable fake tupperware by glad and ziplok are found here in mexico, and those are good for stowing foods in sizes you deem appropriate--i dont buy big if i can help it as i have refit in progress and when i make my passages i buy just what i need and 2-4 weeks more foodstuffs just in case--seems my slow boat not to china is just that---sloow---which i like.
i do reuse many f my baggies as much stowed foodstuffs are dry goods and non ooky items. ooky stuff--cheese gets this way--a lil oily-- i place into double wrap status---a baggie in a lock-top container. i do not have a fridge, so i make sure i dont buy too much of the perishables at any time.

[Delfin]

Originally Posted by bradweston

Yeah, Zeehag, I guess the storing garbage has been done a lot. Sorry. I was mostly interested in ideas about reducing the waste. At home it's easy to buy bigger packages of things and store the unused portion, thereby reducing packaging waste. But without refrigeration it looks like you may want many more, smaller packages. I was wondering if there were tips related to cutting down on waste. Maybe I'm over thinking it.

I don't believe you're over thinking it. Responsible garbage disposal is pretty important. Like Boatman, we provide habitat for critters by filling bottles and sinking them. Cans are sunk for the same reason. Some may freak out about that, but I learned a lesson from a Maine lobster fisherman who said that once they figured out that lobster pots provided shelter for lobster fry from predators, they stopped trying to increase the population by limiting the number of pots and encouraged more.

One trick, if you want to take the time for it, is to transfer dry packaged stuff into reusable containers and leave the garbage part home. We're fortunate to have a compactor on board, so we can generally go a couple weeks without creating a bag of refuse by tossing organics, sinking cans and bottles and avoiding taking disposable packaging on board we later have to throw away.

As I recall, Lin Pardey's book, "Care and Feeding of the Offshore Crew" had some good suggestions on storage.

[barnakiel]

Use search I think there is a recent thread on this.

b.

[ohdrinkboy]

I also wash my garbage to clean off food particles. Use either a mesh bag over the side, or a bucket in the cockpit.

[Crimea Cruiser]

Always makes me wonder...how did you store said garbage before it became garbage? If it was onboard prior, it takes no more space than it did before garbage status.

Otherwise I use similar to boatman's method if offshore.

[tamicatana]

How to Reduce Trash

[The Boat Galley]

I have written a number of articles on the whole topic of trash/garbage, reducing it, storing it and getting rid of it. They're all listed here:

Trash Management

It's a huge topic and what's appropriate in one location often isn't in another -- say the difference between heading out for a few days from a marina versus a couple of months at isolated anchorages in Mexico.

It helps to think about the trash/garbage situation before you buy things or bring them aboard. For example, tuna in pouches will generate less trash (by volume) than tuna in cans. And putting a permanent water filter on the boat can eliminate hundreds -- or thousands -- of little plastic bottles.

And always remember -- you've got a great trash compactor aboard: your foot. Seriously, you can reduce the trash volume considerably by stomping everything.

[bradweston]

Thanks tanikatana and boatgalley. That was exactly the kind of trash reduction tips I was looking for. Nice blog, boatgalley!

[Dennis.G]

Some extra time when storing provisions:

• If a bag-in-a-box item (e.g. cereal), loose the box, keep the bag.
• Stuff wrapped with the foam board behind (e.g., meat), put in vacum sealed plastic bags.
• Empty bulk items (flour, sugar. etc) into reusable containers.
• Take reusable bags to store when shopping.

For stuff in cans: Empty and rinse can. Cut the bottom (in addtion to the top) of can out, and then stomp flat to store (or toss overboard if far off shore). Aluminum cans just rinse and crush. Done properly empty cans take very little room.

[tamicatana]

I do the package transfer at the store if I can. People stare at me as I'm outside the store, busily moving things from one package to another, taking things from boxes, etc.

But that way, the trash is put into the store's cans, and I don't have to deal with it at the boat. I carry along tote-bag grocery bags in which I keep sandwich/freezer bags to facilitate my transfers. I also reuse plastic storage bags (Ziploc type) at least once.