this post was submitted on 22 Sep 2023
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I mean, they have a transporter right? Couldn't they just beam waste into a holding container or out into space? In discovery they say they recycle everything so maybe it just gets beamed to Kieko's Arboretum lol.
The whole idea of Replicators and Transporters is that they have some technology which can efficiently convert matter and energy, so it's possible that they use some sort of reverse-replicator to process waste.
You also never see what they do with the glass cups the replicators create when someone asks for a drink...
I think in DS9 they sometimes put the leftovers back into the replicator for de-replication but they're Cardassian so they might work differently.
Janeway tells Chakotay to un-replicate the watch he made her for her birthday during the Year of Hell, because the energy can be used for something more useful, so they can definitely reclaim things
By the 32nd Century, it is confirmed canon that human waste is directly reused for food replicators. "It's pretty good for shit." - Admiral Vance
It's less clear whether that's true for earlier eras or not, but the existence of "matter recyclers" sure implies it.
But all this still doesn't address the matter of where people poop on a starship.
Surely the bridge crew all have their own freshers, but what about the lower decks? Do they have communal restrooms? What about accomodations for different species needs? Is there a diplomatic lounge with a wide variety of bathrooms available? When they have guests from a different species they're not familiar with, is there an ensign whose job it is to research that culture's bathroom customs and ensure they have the appropriate facilities replicated and constructed? Is there maybe a small holodeck reserved for this purpose? These questions need answers.