Waste Management at McMurdo!

Hi Friends, 

This is the fifth of seven blog entries about our weekend in McMurdo! See earlier entries for information about McMurdo's desalination plant, wastewater treatment plant, and electricity generation. 

Station operations generate a LOT of waste! The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (1991) governs waste management on the continent. Check here for all of the details. In summary, all solid waste generated on the continent must be removed from the continent and returned to the country who generated it. This requirement forces McMurdo's waste management team to collect, pack, and ship back to the U.S. all of the waste generated on station. As station residents, this means we have to sort our waste as we throw it away.

Waste sorting areas are tucked away all over station. This sorting station is located in a stairwell!

Some of the waste categories in McMurdo are very different from ones you might have in your hometown.

There are trash cans located in our dorm rooms. When they fill, we have to take the trash cans down to this trash sorting area in our dorm lounge. Notice the waste category in the upper left corner, the skua waste category.

To explain the "Skua" waste category, I have to introduce you to this guy:

Skuas, scavenger birds similar to seagulls, are the only animals that we see in McMurdo. Because they scavenge discarded food on station (despite the station's best efforts to contain waste and to avoid feeding the skuas!), skuas inspired the name for a waste category where people can discard reusable items that others might scavenge. 

Seth took these two close-ups of a skua last season (Photo courtesy of Seth Campbell!).

Skuas are not shy! This one kept us company one evening last season (Photo courtesy of Seth Campbell!).

Where does the skua waste go? To Antarctica's version of Good Will!

Waste streams other than skua items are collected from hundreds of locations around the station and returned to the Waste Barn, where it is packaged in preparation for shipment off of the continent.

For example, food waste is stored in large cardboard boxes. 

In preparation for shipping waste back to the United States, all waste categories must be containerized for transport on a cargo ship. 

Containers are loaded onto the ship using a large crane like this one.

With all of the rules and regulations Waste Management has to abide by, they still have a sense of humor!

Greg asks, "upon return to the United States, are the dreams discarded or recycled?"

Dumpster diving is a common problem on station.

This entry is part of a series of blog posts describing McMurdo operations. For information on McMurdo's desalination plant, power production, or wastewater treatment, please see previous entries!

Thanks for checking in with us!

Claire