When we remodeled our kitchen last year, we decided not to install a garbage disposal. Sure, it's a quick way to get rid of potato peels or that forgotten container of leftovers, but do you really need one?
Garbage disposals use water to help grind food into small pieces. Not only does this increase your own personal water consumption, but these small pieces then become part of the wastewater system which often requires even more water to get it to the treatment plant. Composting food scraps is one easy solution and there is no shortage of stylish storage pails. If you already have a garbage disposal, consider uninstalling it (and gain more space under your sink!). If you're in a rental or want to leave it in place, make sure you use a good sink strainer so food doesn't go down the drain and sit in an unused disposal. It doesn't take long to get used to diverting food from the sink and best of all, you'll never have to worry about reaching your hand down the drain to retrieve that mangled fork!
(Image: Flickr Member thegardenbuzz licensed for use under Creative Commons)
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I have both a disposal and a dishwasher. I love the dishwasher for it's disinfecting properties. And I do rinse beforehand and handwash pots and pans. The disposal is convenient and useful because we don't have a place for compost and we have a little dog who likes to dig for scraps in our trash can. It's safer for him for the food bits to go down the drain.
Could I live without these two appliances? Certainly. I grew up without both. But since they come with the apartment, I'm going to use them!
I have neither ... and it's a pain! Hand washing dishes doesn't bother me that much... but stinky old rotting food in the garbage can does. I loved my garbage disposal and miss it dearly!
The majority of scraps and generally compostable items that get thrown into trash don't ever naturally decompose in landfills because of the lack of oxygen (the trash gets compacted too tightly). So isn't it better to dump all that down the drain, through the garbage disposal? Or is it just as bad? Of course, this is only applicable if one is not able to compost, for whatever reason.
Meagan,
You're right...there doesn't seem to be a clear winner if you have to choose between the trash and landfill. One method uses trucks to move the food, the other uses water. From what I understand, some food waste that goes down the drain gets filtered out when it reaches the wastewater treatment plant and *then* shipped to a landfill, effectively doubling the amount of resources needed to move the waste.
What do you do with your compost when you don't have a yard to dump it in?
I grew up with one in my parents' house, but don't have one in my apartment. It was a real adjustment getting used to life without one (also a dishwasher), but now I hardly notice it. They're a sweet convenience, but certainly not a necessity.
I HATE garbage disposals - hate the noise, hate the teaspoon losses, so we took ours out, bought a compost bin and I feel far happier. My garden is tiny but I keep the smelly stuff at the far end.
Unexpected benefit - the raccoons don't tip our bins any more.
@sagekitten85,
Every city is different, but here in Seattle our food waste is collected with weekly yard waste where it is then turned into compost for local parks and gardens. These programs are becoming more common (even with apartments and condos) so you might check with your local utilities to see what options there are.
I don't know anyone who has a garbage disposal. I don't think I've ever been in a home that has one. I don't think they are common around here.
@sagekitten85, most people who make compost use it for plants other than grass. If you personally don't grow anything, you probably know someone who does who would most likely be more than willing to take it off your hands.
Garbage disposal is really really bad news for the sewer system. It blocks things up (fats solidify), encourages rats, and generally will end up costing you more money in utility bills or council tax.
Here in Europe, and from what I've observed, in most of the whole wide world, we don't have "garbage disposals" (most of us don't have washing machines either). Maybe because we feel that it's laziness taken way to far, or because we think it seems dangerous (oh that scene in Stephen King's "Charlie"). Point is laziness is bad news for the planet.
Ive heard that only Americans have those I know for a fact that its illegal to sell them in Ontario (the whole of Canada too maybe). They clog up the sewage treatment plants or something like that.
I also think that garbage disposals are an American thing... never seen one in Europe yet. However, we do have washing machines in Europe. At least in Poland and Germany.
I think I saw a waste disposal thing once here in Oz in the 1980s. Never since.
We have a compost bin (two, actually), and our local council takes green waste if you dont want to do that (although not all do so).
Dishwasher? Pros & cons, really. Some of the newsest are very water sensible, but then some of the presumptions about how much water people use to wash dishes vary of one extreme to the other.
Despite all the horrible floods, Australia really is incredibly dry, so anything that uses water has to be carefully considered.
We removed our disposal about a year ago- I use a mesh strainer. I hated it. I have a compost bin and all my scraps go there - we do use our dishwasher and run it every other day. We just purchased a new one - it's an energy star rated and I do a air dry to eliminate excess energy draw.
I am having problems with the garbage disposal not draining properly due to remodeling and installing a 9" deep, instead of original 7" deep sink. Now the drain from the GD to the wall (with a P-trap) is horizontal and water doesn't leave the disposal properly, and it is constantly wet. Now it is rusty/rusting. I want to remove it altogether and use a good strainer. I don't put food scraps down there anyway, and from what I am reading about the Badger in-sink-er-ator GD's, they leak eventually. Mine is 4 years old and due to leak, so rather than go through all that, I am just going to have it removed. Badda Bing.
So flattered you used my garbage shot!