Any environmentally-conscious individual wants to know what they can do to protect their surroundings. Thankfully, more and more people are researching eco-friendly alternatives for their day-to-day lives. One major issue that has been gaining major traction in the past few years is food waste. Among the waste-related questions we ask ourselves, one, in particular, stands out from the rest. Where does garbage disposal waste go? Find out all about the process below.
The 411: Where Does Garbage Disposal Waste Go?
In one of our previous guides, we broke down the details of how a garbage disposal works. In a nutshell, after the food waste is ground into tiny pieces, it’s flushed down your drain with the help of water. It’s all pretty logical until now. However, where does garbage disposal waste go from there?
The end point for food waste that has been processed by a garbage disposal is your local water treatment plant. Facilities of this kind take the waste, separate it from the water, and sends it to digester tanks. There, the waste is transformed into biosolids that can be used as fertilizer. For this reason, you should always be careful with the items you put in your garbage disposal.
The biosolid conversion process also results in sources of renewable energy. A good example is methane gas, which can be used to produce power. Instead of being emitted into the atmosphere in landfills, it is captured and reused productively.
The Truth: Are Garbage Disposals Environmentally Friendly?
Throughout the years, there has been quite some debate surrounding the eco counterpart of garbage disposals. For instance, the state of New York has been arguing for years about the impact of food waste disposers would have on their worn-down sewer systems.
However, garbage disposals have proven to be a reliable step towards fighting one of the biggest waste problems in the U.S. – landfills.
As of 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identified that food waste represented a whopping 20% of content in landfills. By using a garbage disposal, you will be reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfills from your home. Even more, you will be contributing to new sources of fertilizer and renewable power, thus doing your part in supporting the environment.
Other sustainable benefits of using a garbage disposal include:
- Reducing the amount of plastic used in your home for trash bags
- Being a far healthier alternative than incinerating waste
- Lowering the total production of methane gas
On the other hand, some individuals argue that composting is the best way to dispose of food waste. Be that as it may, not everyone possesses the necessary time for the process. If you have a busy schedule but still want to make an effort, try a combination of the two. Use your garbage disposal for daily clean-up after meals and compost on the weekends or your days off.
Conclusion
To conclude, we’re confident that we’ve finally cleared up the “where does garbage disposal waste go?” question. As a parting thought, we recommend that you look into other garbage disposal maintenance tips if you want to enjoy the best user experience with your unit.
We’re also curious to hear your thoughts on today’s topic. Do you believe these machines are an effective way to dispose of food waste? Have you explored other disposal alternatives as well? What are your opinions on garbage disposals, landfills or composting? Let’s talk all about them in the comments.