10 November 2006
Garbology 101
by Mary Ann, onboard the Esperanza
©Greenpeace/Alex Hofford
Everywhere, everyone generates garbage and the Greenpeace ships are no exception. We have what we call a garbologist onboard (that's my job), to collect and store the rubbish everyday. Every morning I sort the garbage. I start at the bridge, next door to the campaign office (I would be surprised if I found any trash in it, zero waste policy), radio room, lounge, down to the mess, galley, and last but not the least, the engineers alley way. The garbage that I collect are plastic bottles, aluminium cans, steel cans, paper, general garbage, toxics and glass. There are also the organics (galley and mess slop, food left overs) that I get rid of every two days.
All this stuff I sort into green bins on the poop deck, labelled according to the type of waste. The beer and soda cans have to be rinsed (stale beer mixed with stale soda is one of the worst smells) as well as the tetra paks of juice and milk, paper sorted into cardboard and... well paper! Steel cans are rinsed in the galley and the glass as well. The general waste, those that are not recyclable have the most bins as that is the type of waste most generated, the toxics stuff have their own exclusive bins between the funnels where we store used and empty paint
cans, aerosol cans, oily rags, etc. etc. There are only two things that we ever throw overboard: the organics and smashed glass (which is of course made of sand). I love it when we are on long transit because I can freely throw the organics over the side but here is the deal: it has to be 12 miles from any land.
It's tricky storing all the rubbish as you have to be organized (which I am not really that organized but I've learned how to be on this trip) in order to find space for all the stuff. I have my own space which we call "the office" but really it's a space on the starboard side behind the
crane hydraulics where the garbage compactor is stored and a big box for the garbologist. I usually store some saved odds and ends, an odd looking bottle here, a nice good sturdy box there (which the garbologist is often asked to keep), nice thick and big plastic bags that can be
reused as sturdy storage for garbage.
It also helps that the garbologist shouldn't be easily "moved" (icky, sensitive or just plain vommity) by rubbish, especially with the organics. When at port, we store the organics in two big steel yellow drums (my own two yellow things) 'till we can throw them out into the
open sea. It's inevitable that when organics are stored in very warm and humid conditions, they start to rot and you have your very own, DIY Maggot City. When we were leaving the Philippines, we had to store almost 2 weeks worth of organics in plastic bags in the yellow bins, so when we threw it out, we had to wade through wrist deep in maggots....yumm! Spaghetti for dinner anyone?
All in all, I have been doing garbology for more than three months now and it has been something I have come to love and look forward to every morning. What I didn't expect was fishing garbage out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. And where was this? It's called the Pacific trash vortex, which we left more or less 5 days ago. The vortex is created when the tropical winds that tend to go north meet the polar winds going down south, creating this vortex in the ocean, essentially trapping any garbage that is caught in it. It was flabbergasting to see trash this far out in the ocean. We mostly fished out discarded nets, plastic crates, helmets, plastic bags, even an attache case. And the yellow thing also produced copepod sized plastic bits that are most often mistaken by marine animals as food.
So anyway, what has my garbology job got to do with the trash vortex? Certainly EVERYTHING! The trash vortex is a result of irresponsible and careless management of
trash on land and at sea. A lot of ships throw their trash overboard, and 80% of land
pollution contributes to the marine pollution. So the management of waste onboard a ship as well as on land certainly plays a huge and crucial role, and helps keep a big amount of rubbish from being fish feed.
Please don't think that just because the trash vortex is out of sight, we all cannot contribute to the solution of why and how this even exists. The why we already know, and the how is where we all play an important role.
In two weeks I will be home, but my garbology job doesn't stop when I get off the ship. My family and I also do our own bit of trash management at home. We have a big composting plot in our garden and we use reusable cloth bags to do grocery shopping.
I guess what I am trying to say is, it wouldn't hurt if everyone started being garbologists on their own. And it wouldn't hurt as well if we all revaluate our own lifestyle, and try and see what we really need and what we really want. Less stuff consumed, less garbage produced, less garbage managed, less trash that would go to sea, and hopefully nil in the future.
Comments
Very nice article on Garbology :) I was Garbologist on the Warrior for 4 months, and while it's a dirty job it's very educational - gives you a whole different perspective on junk and where it all goes, doesn't it?
At least you have a trash compactor the Espy :) It really helps, trust me! No such luxury on the Warrior!
Keep up the good work!!
Peace,
Abri
Posted by: Abri_Beluga at November 10, 2006 10:42 PM
I've worked on a boat last summer, and when we threw organic food in the sea, we made sure to be away from port. However, I'm not sure we were always at least 12 miles from land.
I had no idea we should do that.
Next time I will know!
Posted by: Juliette at November 10, 2006 11:45 PM
Hey Abri!
Is this Abri the radio operator as well?
Being a garbologist is very educational and you're right, I just remembered that the forward in the fo'csle is too small to accomodate a months worth (GASP!) of excess garbage.
I'm glad you liked my article :-)
Mary Ann
Posted by: Mary Ann at November 11, 2006 12:21 AM
Mama Maan!
I'm glad you're having fun on the ship! I heard you're going to San Diego :-) Will there be any open boat days? Maybe mama, Ay and Jan can visit you! And if you need a place to stay just email me so I can give them a heads up.
Miss you, miss you, miss you.
Abi
Posted by: dyabayns at November 11, 2006 12:20 PM
Oyst, lola! Musta na? Sumagot ka naman, nagpost ako sa profile page mo dito, wala ka mang lang ka-react-react. :) Ingat pauwi, at nawa'y maging masaya ang iyong pagdalaw sa US. :D
Posted by: ninay at November 12, 2006 11:14 PM
Recently we were trekking in the Himalyas and practised a theory of collecting all garbage generated and leaving only our foot steps behind. The extreme tempratures [low] has created the unique problem of slow biodegradability and all organic matter including unfortunate climbers loosing their lives, remaining preserved for years. Garbology needs to be redefined in this unique ecosystem.
Posted by: Venkatachalam.S.G at November 14, 2006 7:03 AM
Hey Mary Ann,
nice to read from you. You look so thin on the photo! Don't you get enough to eat onboard?
Wish you a nice remaining time and hope to meet you again some day!
Cheers, Heike
Posted by: Heike at November 15, 2006 10:45 AM
Hey Abi,
Yes we had open boat days and I emailed you about the open boat days...not sure if you were able to tell that to your mama, Jan and Ay.
Miss you na din
Ninay,
Sorry at hindi na ako nakasagot at I'm over my head with work. Pasensya na at minsan sobrang pagod log-tu na diretso!
Miss ko na kayo!
Venkatachalam,
Thank you for that nice bit about the slow biodegradability in the Himalayas. Each ecosystem is indeed unique and you just have to tweak how we dispose of garbage here and there and a little change in mindset of what we want and what we need. A little of this goes a loooong way.
HEIKE!
How have you been? Are you back at Stern writing again? Hehehehe, Thanks for the compliment! I have been doing the gym for the past two months but have stopped recently as I need to sleep more in the afternoon now. We have loads to eat onboard (as usual) tho.
Mexico is awesome! The other day, we saw gray whales blowing mist, yesterday was a pod of dolphins, this morning sea otters sunning themselves and a huge school of tuna frantically swimming and jumping away from dolphins.
It really made my day!
I'm on the 4-8 am watch now by the way!
I do hope that we can meet up again some day!
Hi Juliette!
Yes, it has to be 12 Nautical miles or more out at sea to be able to throw the organics.
well out of the proximity of land :-)
Mary Ann
Posted by: Mary Ann at November 17, 2006 7:23 AM
Dear Maan,
I am very happy to see you on board and your help to "Defending our Oceans" campaign. Till now you saw differnet threats to our oceans; destruction of unique sea life by bottom trawlers, IUU (illegal, unregulated, unreported) fishing, pirate fishing, oil spill...
Now you are the in place where you can see the reach biodervisity of marine ecosystem. We need to give chance to marine life by creating large scale marine reserves like you see the benefit of it now.
I miss you my dear friend, your smile, massage, vegaterian menu, needle gunning and colouring the ships, our talk on monkey island, dinner on the bow.... When I listen to Enya I am going back to Singapore days and remember you.
I am proud of you and your good work. Hope to sail with you again, say hello to crew.
love, peace and solidarity
canan
Posted by: Canan at November 19, 2006 3:33 PM
All updates from the Southern Ocean whaling 2007 leg »
All updates from the Pacific transit »
All updates from the Mexico leg »
All updates from the Hawaii leg »
All updates from the Pacific leg »
All updates from the Philippines leg »
All updates from the India leg »
All updates from the Red Sea leg »
All updates from the Mediterranean leg »
All updates from the Azores leg »
All updates from the Pirate Fishing/Africa leg »
All updates from the Southern Ocean »
Avast ye land lubbers! The ocean critters need your help!
Take action today!
