Bottle breaker

[1jparker]

This is a blast from the past item, but hopefully someone will have a source. We are cruising up in Maine right now, wishing we had a "bottle breaker" that our parents had to break the bottom out of glass bottles so they will sink while off-shore. Any ideas out there?

[Boatsb]

We use a trash can and bring them back to land for disposal. Recycled or not that's better for the environment and no chance of someone getting cut.

[carolinacoast]

http://www.liveinart.org/2012/04/cut...e-bottles.html

[Bob Bradley]

Those of us in the scuba fraternity are no more appreciative of trash on the bottom than we are of trash floating on top.

[Artzco]

Recycling is the only way and is less dangerous in more ways than one.

[Angela]

The OP is talking about off shore - the same place where barges and cruise ships dump trash, presumably in very deep water - not places where you swim, snorkel, and scuba dive. And if, by chance he is talking about near coastal waters, then trash shouldn't be dumped. Sometimes, it's not feasible to save all of the trash, i.e. if you are cruising off shore for a couple of weeks or crossing the Atlantic. I have some friends who have been cruising several years now. I'll ask them if they know of such a device as he has talked about trash management in the past.

[Boatsb]

If you had room to carry it out you have room to carry it back. Sharp glass is not good for critters. Most modern cruise ships do not dump at sea.

Only food waste should ever be dropped overboard.

[Pascal]

Bottles can indeed accumulate over a few days. When awayj from marinas like in the exumas we often put bottles back in the cases they came in. Or sometimes out them in the trash compactor but you have to be careful to put them in t he middle so they can't rip the bag.

I m not too crazy about throwin anything over board, we pick up way too many beer bottles on beaches and shallow waters, although one could argue a few bottles sunk offshore aren't going to harm anyone.

Recycling is often no more than a feel good thing... For instance, compass cay marina in the exumas has a bunch of recycling bins for paper, alum and glass. One day waking around the island I stumbled upon the landfill where everything is dumped together. So much for recycling. I bet it s the same on many islands,

[Passages]

Heck, the same holds true about recycling on the mainland. We were good about separating our trash for pickup. Even bundled the newspapers. One day I just happened to be around at pick up time. Yep, everything - even my neatly bundled newspapers went in the big hopper in the back of the truck.

I call the trash company and was told they only recycle on their end when the scrap price justifies it.

[drburke]

I also heard similar from a recycling plant owner.

They did re-mix a lot of stuff and dumped it in heaps on a concrete pad in the hopes that prices will rise.

It turns out that it is fairly cheap to put everything back on a conveyor belt and hire labor to sift through it as it goes by. Who knew?

So, I still sort my recycling and let them deal with it however. I am sure some fraction does go to the landfill as mentioned, though.

DAN