7B) Time for a dump

Today I thought we'd take a break from the bigger environmental issues and look at one of the fundamental characteristics of living organisms: excretion (remember MRS GREN from your biology lessons).

Have you ever wondered what happens when you press that dreaded flush in an airplane toilet? No, well I don't blame you.

A first class airplane toilet (Source: View from the wing)

Contrary to popular beliefs, I don’t eject it into the atmosphere. Instead Skykem, a blue disinfectant enters the toilet bowl; each flush requires 0.5L of this chemical as opposed to 3.5L of water, representing a significant weight saving and thus reduced fuel burn and harmful emissions. Yay for the environment, right? A powerful vacuum then sucks-out the contents to a tank at my rear, which is drained-out and treated at airport waste facilities. I end up storing ~900L of your waste each flight!

Occasionally, however, some waste leaks from faulty pipes or containment seals, freezing in the upper atmosphere and falling once my wheels are lowered. 25 ‘blue-ice’ falls were reported within the UK in 2013, decreasing year-on-year to 7 in 2017. Despite some damages and near-death experiences involving blue ice, the environmental impact of sewage disposal is limited.