Black [Water|Gold]

217-9963 (BIOWASTE)

For interstellar freight purposes, biowaste is defined as nonspecific organic matter for disposal: this includes categories as disparate as sewage, grooming fragments (i.e. shed skin, hair clippings, etc.), animal waste, plant matter, spoiled food, medical and surgical waste, corpses, et. sim., and mixed lots of any or all of the above.

Biowaste is typically shipped locally to skyfarms for sterilization, decomposition, and processing into fertilizer, or to new habitats and worlds undergoing ecopoesis for use in soilbrewing and dirt farming; in the modal case, that of oxygen-breather biowaste, it serves as a rich source of CHON compounds and CHNOPS. It is, however, important to check the subclassifications (if present); organic matter for disposal from or of species other than oxygen-breathers is also properly classified as biowaste, even if from an oxygen-breather perspective it more closely resembles industrial chemicals.

Note: Due to the potential for infection and ecological cross-contamination, improper disposal (i.e., other than to a sealed biowaste processing facility) of biowaste is classified as a crime against nature under Imperial law, and is subject to severe censure.

Applicable special handling characteristics: All cargoes classified 217-9963 are considered biohazard cargoes, requiring sealed containers and appropriate handling. Depending upon the precise nature of the biowaste in question (per above), such cargoes may also be classified as flammable (often due to decay products, such as methane), corrosive, or radioactive.

– Merchanter’s Association Handbook, “Trade Categories”