WAG (Waste Alleviation and Gelling) bags contain polymer and enzyme gel that absorbs fluid. This reaction makes the waste inert and safe to dispose in a trash can. In this experiment we tested out the maximum amount of fluid a WAG bag could absorb. You should not add this amount of waste to the WAG bag.
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RESTOP2 Toilet-To-Go
Polymer and enzyme gel: 24 grams
Toilet Paper: 9 grams
Hand Sanitation Wipe: 3 grams
Sealable Bag: 44 grams
Total Weight without the waste: 80 grams
View of the Polymer and Enzyme Gel
The polymer and enzyme gel is located at the bottom of the WAG bag. The enzyme polymer weighed 24 grams.
1 Gram of Polymer and Enzyme Gel
We weighed out exactly one gram of polymer and enzyme gel.
Added 1 Gram of Polymer and Enzyme Gel to sealable bag
We added one gram of polymer and enzyme gel to a large sealable bag.
Added yellow dyed water to polymer and enzyme gel
We slowly added yellow dyed water to the polymer and enzyme gel and agitated the bag until the water was not absorbed.
The 1 Gram of Polymer and Enzyme Gel absorbed 0.163 liters of water!
The 1 gram of polymer and enzyme gel was able to absorb 0.163 liters (163 grams) of yellow dyed water! The total weight of the water and gel mixture weighed 164 grams (the plastic bag was subtracted out using the scale).
The yellow dyed water and gel formed a spongy mixture
The yellow dyed water and gel formed a spongy mixture as shown in the picture. Not all of the mixture could fit on the scale at one time. 1 gram of polymer and enzyme gel was able to absorb much more water than expected.
One WAG bag can absorb a maximum of 3.9 liters of water!
About 0.163 liters of yellow dyed water shown on the left was absorbed by just one gram of polymer and enzyme gel. This means that the 24 grams of polymer and enzyme gel in the WAG bag can absorb a maximum of 3.9 liters (24 x 0.163 liters) of water! However, adding 3.9 liters of liquid waste to the bag is not recommended. This is because the enzyme gel has to react and neutralize the waste. Having too much liquid would reduce the effectiveness of the enzyme.
Summary
WAG (Waste Alleviation and Gelling) bags are effective in neutralizing waste if used correctly. In this experiment we showed how a WAG bag can absorb a lot of water. In a pinch you can use a WAG bag twice. However, this does not mean you should overload a bag with waste.
It’s important to use the WAG bag as designed. Overloading the WAG bag with waste will make the enzyme gel ineffective in neutralizing the waste.