What do you throw in?

[lydiacafc]

Hello all :wave:

 

Just wondering what everyone thinks is acceptable (if anything) to throw into the canal?

 

Bread is an obvious one, when feeding the ducks, I have also been known to dispose of vegetable peelings, & grapes that were going a bit funny, on the basis that they will either get eaten by the wildlife or will naturally degrade... however correct me if I'm wrong!

 

I wouldn't empty the toilet into the canal, however I bet most male boaters will have had a wee in thereat some point!

 

Would be interested to hear people's opinions - rubbish I guess is unacceptable, I try to use 'environmentally friendly' washing up liquid, shampoos etc, although I really don't know how much of a difference this makes.

 

A few weeks ago when we had all that rain there was all kinds of crap floating past us at fairly high speed, so some people obviously don't mind using the canal as a rubbish tip! But what happens to all this stuff if it doesn't get fished out? I'm at the very end of the Grand Union at Brentford, will this stuff get washed over the weir/through the Thames lock & end up in the sea at some point, for hundreds of years?

 

[Sir Nibble]

I think with us canal users, you would get a longer list asking what we fish out!

[Liam]

I use paper plates which can very easily be chucked over board. This is ideal as you don't have to do the washing up.

[StoneHenge]

left over veggies, rice and eggs as the ducks, swans and carp love them and so there is no food waste. That and washing up water.

 

Although if you asked my two year old, it would be toy cars, daddy's socks, a towel, keys (lots of times), mummy's shoe, mr giggles (don't ask), and my dutch duck. All were thankfuklly retrieved apart from the toy car. So if you see a blue minature beatle on your travels on the Ashby, then it's my fault!

[Maverick]

The other week I watched as a woman out walking her dog along the towpath stopped, took a little shovel out of a carrier bag and dutifully scooped the dogs mess up. She then chucked it into the canal.

 

I said nothing and carried on a short way where we pulled in and moored up for lunch. Who should come along 10mts later and get onto the boat moored behind us??? You guessed it.

 

Gives an whole new meaning to the phrase 'shit happens'

[Orphiel]

left over veggies, rice and eggs as the ducks, swans and carp love them and so there is no food waste.

 

Really? Excellent, will start doing that and save space on bins! I only ever leave the water to go out into the river at the moment.

[StoneHenge]

Really? Excellent, will start doing that and save space on bins! I only ever leave the water to go out into the river at the moment.

 

The carp go mad for the rice. They spend the whole evening clunking around the bottom of the boat. They particularly like golden vegetable savoury rice.

[lydiacafc]

 

I chucked a bit of left over chow mein in once, & had 2 swans outside who spent the entire evening upside down trying to get the rice!

[Hairy-Neil]

Gives an whole new meaning to the phrase 'shit happens'

 

Don't the fish crap in the water then? Surely its got to be better than putting it in a plastic bag and hanging it in the hedgerow like presents on a christmas tree.....

[Hairy-Neil]

Tim Wilkinson covered the topic in his book, 'Hold On A Minute', apparently the boater's superstitions included such things as, "If you throw your hair into the cut you'll go bald".....Though its somewhat ironic that John rescued the hair (from her comb) Gay had discarded in the cut and tucked it into the lower branches of the towpath hedge......

Edited September 6, 2007 by Hairy-Neil

[DHutch]

Potato pealings go over indeed.

- Most other food gets eaten tbh, but odd ends can usally be used as a bread replacment, or ditched in the hedge.

 

Also, on the pee'ing in to the cut note, in the hedge near by is better.

 

 

Daniel

[Hairy-Neil]

Also, on the pee'ing in to the cut note, in the hedge near by is better.

Daniel

 

That's not possible when you are the only one on the butty on a long line.......

[blackrose]

I'm afraid it's not as simple as "It's biodegradable so I can chuck it in."

 

According to the EA (and presumably BW too), none of the stuff listed above by contributors and not even as little as an apple core should be disposed of into the water because excessive amounts of organic matter can lead to eutrophication of the waterway as nutrients accumulate and decay, reducing water quality as well as fish and other animal populations.

 

As I look at all the naturally occuring organic matter (mainly biomass from trees), that finds its way into the canal it's difficult to imagine that a few leftovers would make much difference, but I guess the reasoning is that if everyone disposes of their food waste in this way there will be an additional burden on the waterway.

Edited September 7, 2007 by blackrose

[Maverick]

Don't the fish crap in the water then? Surely its got to be better than putting it in a plastic bag and hanging it in the hedgerow like presents on a christmas tree.....

 

Then why are we all using porta potti's etc. £15 per pump out or a walk to the elsen disposal.

 

Shall we all just start dumping our crap in the canal then? I'll cut a hole in the bathroom floor to S*** through.

 

Oh no I cant do that can I incase a swan pops his head up the hole

[Hairy-Neil]

Then why are we all using porta potti's etc. £15 per pump out or a walk to the elsen disposal.

 

Shall we all just start dumping our crap in the canal then? I'll cut a hole in the bathroom floor to S*** through.

 

Oh no I cant do that can I incase a swan pops his head up the hole

 

There's nothing wrong with good honest crap, its the chemicals we add to it or use to clean up afterwards that cause all the problems......

[Maverick]

There's nothing wrong with good honest crap, its the chemicals we add to it or use to clean up afterwards that cause all the problems......

 

Think you'll find that if everyone through their crap in the canals the water would start to stink in a very short time with a lovely thick algea on the top.

 

End of boating as we know it.

[Hairy-Neil]

Think you'll find that if everyone through their crap in the canals the water would start to stink in a very short time with a lovely thick algea on the top.

 

End of boating as we know it.

 

I'm not for one minute advocating everyone tipping their organic byproducts in the cut.

 

Just pointing out that nature has a way of dealing with natural waste, it's man made waste that causes all the problems.

[Supermalc]

Just pointing out that nature has a way of dealing with natural waste, it's man made waste that causes all the problems.

 

I'll back you up 100% on that Neil. Just a pity more people don't realize it.

[ChrisPy]

I'll cut a hole in the bathroom floor to S*** through.

 

Oh no I cant do that can I incase a swan pops his head up the hole

I can see a new design of 'weed hatch' forming in my mind . Just make sure you replace the lid before setting off. Reminds me of Clarkson and May on the Toyota-Arctic thunderbox for some reason.

 

......................... not quite sure how you get the floaters to sink though. too much information!

[magnetman]

Excessive quantities of sewage in a waterway will have a high Biological Oxygen Demand and will compete for the oxygen with fish. The fish will lose. A bit of dog 'waste' isn't going to do a lot though having said that if EVERYONE micturated in the hedge by the towpath it'd smell a bit.

[Hairy-Neil]

......................... not quite sure how you get the floaters to sink though. too much information!

 

Sea toilets were common on pleasure boats on the EA's Fenland navigations as little as 10 years ago. I can't say when, or even if the bylaw was changed.........anyone?

[magnetman]

I'm certain sea toilets are still widely used on the non-tidal Thames, they used to demand they were sealed but now they are not very interested or maybe you have to sign something?. Lost my copy of the byelaws.

[ChrisPy]

if EVERYONE micturated in the hedge by the towpath it'd smell a bit.

kills the nettles though ..................

[Maffi]

A bit of dog waste! Well yes from one dog but I see lots of people doing it even boaters.

 

I watched dumb struck once when one lady emptied her cat litter tray through the side hatch. "Oh thats not so bad", I hear you say, but she was on a permanent mooring. Her boat must have been grounded on a pile of cat crap.

 

We have waste bins to put our waste in. What's the problem?

Edited September 8, 2007 by Maffi

[Webchem]

can lead to eutrophication of the waterway as nutrients accumulate and decay, reducing water quality as well as fish and other animal populations.

 

Eutrophication normally needs excessive amounts of inorganic fertilizer as well (although I guess this could be provided by some of the material we throw in)!

 

Its all one big cycle anyway, most washing up liquids are now reasonably environmentally friendly as they tend not to include phosphates anymore (eutrophication).

 

I am not sure about dog waste, but I suspect cat waste would be worse (certainly smells it)....