I used to think that garbage disposals were a much more American convenience, and not a kitchen appliance that was seen often in Canada. Then I moved to house in the suburbs that already had a garbage disposal installed. (A very quick aside: Remember on the Flintstones, how Wilma's garbage disposal was some sort of ravenous prehistoric creature that lived under her sink? If only...)
At first I thought having a disposal was really great. Although we compost our kitchen scraps in the warmer months of the year, in the winter it’s so handy to just toss your carrot peels, lettuce scraps and leftovers into the sink, turn on the tap and switch on the power. The only problem we ever really had with the disposal was the one time it broke down, and clogged up. Water wouldn’t drain from that side of the sink, and the smell...man alive! Otherwise, it’s been very handy and provided no animal matter gets stuck in the blades, it’s been very clean and no odor wafts out of that drain.
However, something has been nagging me in the back of my mind whenever I watch those food scraps get gobbled up. Something doesn’t seem right about this. I decided to look into the matter.
It seems that my instincts were right. Although making use of a garbage disposal removes waste from the local landfill, it also greatly increases the load on local sewage treatment facilities. More water is used up in the flushing of material down the drain (and in the treatment of it). These and the possibility of clogged pipes are all excellent reasons to avoid using the garbage disposal whenever possible.
The garbage disposal is one appliance I will be reducing the use of from now on. I think I’ll try to keep composting throughout the winter, and meat scraps and other non-compostable waste will go in the garbage. Convincing my husband to join me will be the real challenge.
Here’s a list of articles I consulted that helped me come to this conclusion. I hope you’ll take some time to investigate for yourself, if you’re a garbage disposal user.
- Garbage disposal guilt - disposal vs. the trash can for perishable wastes, by Jeanne Rattenbury, Vegetarian Times, January, 1996.
- Land Septage, Ontario Ministry of the Environment.
- To Grind or not to Grind? That is the Environmental Question . . .Avoid Garbage Disposal Problems and Odor by Limiting the Waste Going Down the Sink, Grinning Planet.
- Disposal Proposal: On garbage disposals, by Umbra Fisk, Grist, March 27, 2003.
Reminder: Today there is a rally being held at Queen's Park from 10 am until 11 am. The rally's war cry is "Ban Toxics, Baby! A Family Rally to End Toxic Chemicals in Baby Bottles."
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