In Space, Trash Can't Go To The Curb

This is irresponsible behaviour - as we see so much down here on terra firma.

Surely the shuttle has to return, so it would be straight forward enough to put said junk into its now empty hold.

Hugh Mattos

Chartered Engineer

If it's not re-useable I guess burning it in the atmosphere is not much worse than disposing of it at home (?). On a similar tack , I think mountain parties to places like Everest should be obliged to return with the same weight they took up , or pay a levy to finance a purely clean up expedition. I hear the place is littered with oxygen tanks etc , though there is some degree of voluntary clean up.Another thought - I already have separated waste collection for recycling. Many people use supermarket bags to double-bag their landfill waste (food scraps etc) - what an own goal ! The local authorities should promote the provision of biodegradable sacks for this.

Er....

Current EU leglislation bans the land fill deposition of food scaps and compostable waste - you are supposed to have been persuaded to have a composter for those.

However, until our local councils can be persuaded to take recycling seriously by collecting EVERY week both waste and recycling products, it is hard to expect the public to really join in properly.

Hugh Mattos

Chartered Engineer

Wow ! This news has clearly not reached the 'Garden of England'. Our collection is organized thus :

Recyclables

a) sack for paper and cardboard

b) box for glass/tins/limited types of plastic

c) wheelie bin for garden waste

Landfill

d) Wheelie bin for everything not covered above

It may be that my understanding of where item d) goes is wrong

Items c and d are collected on alternate weeks , which is the main point of complaints (lack of space/smell). I don't have an issue with this myself , but I go out of my way to minimize waste of any sort.

Discounted composters are available , but uptake is low.

The entire process needs an engineering make-over. It's been plagued with difficulty since the start.

This program performed an illegal operation, an is now in custody...

I'm amazed they would throw away any mass that has already been boosted into orbit. That's the first step to space and the hardest, every gram that goes up costs like the devil himself, and they are throwing it away? Why have they sent it up in the first place? And if it had to go up, surely it could be designed for a use after redundancy? I just feel that once the stuff is there, better to use it for anything rather then junking it.

...better to use it for anything...

Now, who could argue with that?

Then, again, planning for everything in advance, should be space agencie's first and foremost (sigh )...