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Wag-It and Bag-It

This article originally appeared in the October 2007 issue.

Wag Bags : Bucket-and-Chuck-It or Wag-and-Bag-It? - By Robbie Johnson

S/V Tahiti Rover

There are probably few topics more contentious among boaters than the issue of marine head discharges and the environmentally-correct handling of so-called "black water" waste. It is no small irony that over 90 percent of all boats in the United States are less than 18 feet in length, are powered by outboard motors, and are without a marine head, while it is the minority of boaters with larger vessels and installed marine heads that catch all the flack from legislators and law enforcement. You just know the huge recreational population using those smaller boats are taking the bucket-and-chuck-it approach, but woe betide the hapless sailor or liveaboard who would discharge black water waste through his boat's thru-hull! Therein lies the nexus of the situation: how to pass black water waste from the boat in a legal and environmentally correct way? Are holding tanks, pump-out stations, and expensive on-board treatment systems the only answer?

Lin and Larry Pardey, circumnavigators and prolific authors, are one of the best-known and most respected sailing couples. They were asked how they handle the black water discharge situation when they are cruising in U.S. waters (see their full answer at www.landlpardey.com. The answer this savvy, world-cruising couple gave was, like their approach to the sailing life, simple and direct. They have no installed marine head with thru-hull fittings. When offshore, they use a bucket and chuck it. When sailing in environmentally sensitive United States waters, and also when in small anchorages or marinas in foreign countries where dumping a bucket of solid waste would be offensive to all concerned, they use Wag Bags.

Wag Bags? Yep, a simple, inexpensive, no-moving parts, and environmentally-friendly approach to handling black water waste generated on a boat. The Pardeys explain it best: "Bucket-and-chuck-it may be okay in open areas, but we find it a discomforting choice in pristine anchorages or in enclosed marinas anywhere in the world. We have no installed head due to our dislike of holding tanks, so we have made an enclosure with seat and lid for a bucket and have come up with solutions that we feel work well. Offshore, we use the bucket-and-chuck-it system. Near shore or in enclosed anchorages, we use Wag Bags in the bucket. These fully biodegradable bags contain a special powder (called Pooh-Powder) that turns urine into a gel and deodorizes the waste. The special enzymes in the gel also kill bacteria and promote the breakdown of waste and bags. After using the bag (one bag can be used five or six times), we simply seal it into the separate biodegradable pouch supplied with each kit. Then it can be deposited in the trash for disposal at landfills."

Relax, fellow sailors! It is not necessary to remove your installed marine head to use Wag Bags. The biodegradable bags are designed to fit inside a standard toilet or marine head. To be perfectly legal and avoid any hassles with the water police, simply disconnect the intake and discharge hoses from your marine head, (close the seacocks first, of course) and put a Wag Bag in the head's bowl. It is as easy as putting a plastic trash bag liner in a kitchen trash can. As the Pardeys point out, the bags may be used multiple times before they need to be changed. Simply reconnect your head to the thru-hulls when going offshore.

The Wag Bag installed in a marine toilet. Pooh-Powder is in the center and comes in the Wag Bag. The bag on the seat is the disposal bag that the used Wag Bag bag in the toilet can be sealed in. That can be dumped safely in the trash going to a landfill.

The Wag Bag's manufacturer, Phillips Environmental Products (www.thepett.com), gives this explanation of its product: The WAG system is actually "two bags; one funnel-shaped waste collection bag pre-loaded with Pooh Powder waste treatment used to contain the waste, and a heavy gauge zip-close bag (12" x 10") to secure and transport waste. They are approved for disposal with normal trash as Group II non-hazardous waste. The bags will work in any dry marine, RV, or household toilet. The bioactive non-toxic gelling powder that encapsulates liquid and solid waste, neutralizes odors, initiates and accelerates decomposition."

I already know what you're thinking: How often can I use a Wag Bag before tossing it? And does that Pooh-Powder really control the odor? As for me, I probably average using one Wag Bag every 5-7 days depending, but I would guess the average live-aboard boating couple would use two bags a week if they are eating at least two meals aboard and each voiding at least once a day while aboard. I stress the word "guess" because the volume of waste generated varies so much with different individuals. The Pardeys say they use a Wag Bag 5 or 6 times before tossing it. Me, I get up early in the morning and spend the greater part of my waking hours ashore, so I use shoreside toilets more often than my boat's head. My head's Wag Bag gets more frequent use on the weekend than during the week.

I have not found odor to be an issue. Wag Bags are pre-loaded with the patented Pooh-Powder and will convert approximately 31-32 ounces of urine into a non-spillable gel, while also initiating the decomposition process of the solid waste. Pooh-Powder is an odor neutralizer, not a perfume. When I first began using Wag Bags, I bought an extra container of Pooh-Powder just in case, but I don't recall ever having to use it. If you think you may have an overly sensitive nose, you can conduct your own odor field test by just buying a container of the Pooh-Powder and using a plastic kitchen trash bag in the bowl of your marine head.

However, when it comes to disposal the Wag Bag is superior to the trash bag approach because when filled to capacity, the Wag Bag's top is easily sealed, then placed in a 12" x 10" heavy gauge, zip-close, puncture-resistant transport bag that virtually eliminates the kind of accident no one wants to deal with. The transport bag is also biodegradable and approved for disposal in a trash can or Dumpster. Each Wag Bag kit comes with a funnel-shaped toilet bowl liner bag that is pre-loaded with Pooh-Powder, plus a heavy-gauge transport bag, toilet paper and sanitary wipes.

So what is the cost of this simple, viable alternative to holding tanks, pump-out stations, expensive on-board treatment systems and midnight anchorage raids by the water police? Wag Bags can be purchased from Southwinds Magazine at one for $4 or 10 for $30, plus shipping. Contact editor@southwindsmagazine.com or call 941-795-8704. Now how easy and inexpensive is that to settle all the inconvenience, hassle and paranoia besetting Florida sailors and liveaboards in dealing with black water waste disposal?

Wag Bags can be used in any toilet or Porta Potty, or about any situation, including a 5-gallon bucket.