# where does airplane waste go?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-airplane-waste-go/5872>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 7, 2000, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-airplane-waste-go/5872 "2000-01-07T03:07:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilgore_Trout_1)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2000, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-airplane-waste-go/5872/1 "2000-01-07T03:07:00Z")

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## well, yeah. where does airplane bathroom waste go when you flush it? i have heard stories of frozen faeces crashing through the roof of a house, but this seems rather strange.

_what is essential is invisible to the eye -the fox_

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**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2000, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-airplane-waste-go/5872/2 "2000-01-07T03:27:00Z")

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There are stories about frozen… er… masses crashing through house roofs, but in those stories the accident is represented as being the result of an unintended leak.

In normal circumstances, the waste is collected in a tank, which is pumped empty when the plane is serviced, in much the same way that bus latrines are handled.

The story does serve as the basis for a shaggy-dog story, which ends, “Even if you live nowhere near a military target, you can still be attacked by… {wait for it}… an icy BM.”

- Rick

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**Author:** ![dlv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dlv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dlv)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2000, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-airplane-waste-go/5872/3 "2000-01-07T03:37:00Z")

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Nothing goes to waste. Earth worshippers recycle it into airplane food. 🙂

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**Author:** ![Louie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Louie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Louie)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2000, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-airplane-waste-go/5872/4 "2000-01-07T06:11:00Z")

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No wonder they always serve it right after I go to the bathroom. 😛