Challenge #04467-L083: Wastenaught

"What are you doing with all that plant waste and old clothing you're shredding?"
I'm going to make homemade paper.
"Paper out of clothing and old plants??"
Yep, it's going to be a very pretty soft green. -- Anon Guest

The thing about space travel is that it's difficult to take everything with you. Since it is the longest possible trip from A to B, taking everything for the trip means even more fuel expended to push it all towards B. Or a longer trip, which needs more supplies. The ouroboros of logistics can tie many to their homeworlds, Unless they figure out how to renew their supplies in transit.

Which leads, inevitably, to a strong culture of recycling in spacefaring cultures. You can't take it all with you, so you have to use what you've taken again and again and again. Nothing is wasted.

Nothing can be wasted, or you and everyone in your ship soon will be.

In ancient times of lack, there were many who collected and hoarded anything, refusing to declare it rubbish because "It could come in handy." In the spaceways, they found ways for everything to come in handy.

Molecular assemblers and disassemblers helped a great deal, and for others... there were hobbies.

"Don't use that blender! That's for my paper."

Dean paused before even a drop of her yoghurt could tip into the tool. "What?"

"I make paper in that one," Dar explained. "What are you doing in my workshop, the kitchen's down the hall and to the left."

"I know," said Dean. "Marj is in there. Making chilli."

"The five-alarm deep-clean-necessary chilli? Oh gross. That's almost as bad as the chemicals I use for my paper. Except mine could poison you."

Dean said, "Marj's chilli only makes you wish you were poisoned. On the plus side, it'll last for ages,"

Dar joined the chorus, "Because nobody else will eat it."

Dean resealed her yoghurt. "I just wanted a smoothie without fumes... What's your experiment this time?"

"Old clean rag and plant clippings. I'll be getting a nice pale green for sure."

"From the chlorophyl?"

"Aw hell no. From the leftover fabric dye."