So after reading today's comic and the question about garbage smashers, I felt the need to start this conversation. Mainly because the alternative is real work, which I'm morally opposed to doing.

I think the real question here is: why would you eject your garbage? Remember that you're in space and anything you need to make or to use has to be done with the raw materials on hand. You can't just pull over and find ready made iron if you need a new control switch for your tractor beam. So by storing your garbage you're able to break it down and recycle it for use on other projects.

Now, I know, there's a huge energy problem with breaking things down and putting them back together, but I'm choosing to suspend reality on that one (or assume that they have a large enough power supply that the concern is rendered moot). But I guess my point is, from a functional perspective, to constantly dump material into the void of space is very likely going to cripple you as you use up resources. And so, why not compact it until you're ready to reuse the materials?

I've put way to much thought into this.

Let me take it a step further -- why destroy a planet at all?

I mean, think of all the raw materials they've destroyed?

Wouldn't it be more sensible to drop a massive neutron bomb on, let's say, Alderaan? Destroying all existing life while leaving buildings, vehicles and many raw materials in tact for the Empire to usurp?

I think it's safe to say when it comes to domestic, foreign and galactic policy, the Empire's a couple of clones short of a fully-armed-and-operational-battle-station.

I think it's also safe to say that I'm an enormous nerd.

But the real point is that even if you were going to eject the garbage, the "compactor" still had a purpose - not to make the garbage smaller, but to strain out all liquid and organic material for the really gross food production tanks!

Wouldn't you seperate the materials BEFORE you compacted them? Organic, metalic, plastics, etc.? I would think that if you compacted organic materials with, say, scrap metal, seperating the two wouldn't be an easy/fun job to do.

I think the problem is we saw waste being dumped into space from a battleship or cruiser, not a death star. I would think a huge facility like a death star would be far more able to support recycling operations.