Garbage Disposal Myths

On average, the energy used to run a garbage disposal comes out to less than $0.60 a year. Several studies have found that water use for a food waste garbage disposal averages out to just over a gallon per person per day. If that sounds like a lot, even the most efficient toilets use more than a gallon of water every time they are flushed.

More than two dozen studies from around the world have concluded that even widespread adoption of garbage disposals doesn't negatively impact local sewer systems. Many cities are worried about the buildup of fats, grease and oils, but with or without a garbage disposal, cooking oil or leftover grease should never be poured down the sink. The majority of food scraps sent down garbage disposals are fruits, vegetables and grains with little or no fat. Even widespread use of garbage disposals results in only a slight increase in the total solid waste in municipal sewers.

Sewer systems are designed to handle waste: debris from street runoff, toilet paper, etc. Widespread adoption of garbage disposals only marginally increases the amount of waste handled by sewer systems. Unlike many of these things, food scraps are mostly water, which means they degrade quicker. Plus, cutting down the amount of garbage that needs to be collected saves municipalities money on pickup and garbage disposal costs.

Not true! Garbage disposals grind food scraps into a slurry that can easily be handled by your septic system. Food scraps decompose faster than other waste sent into the tank, and because food scraps are 75% to 90% water, they add very little to the solids that settle at the bottom. Studies show that septic systems attached to a garbage disposal don’t require more frequent pumping than those that aren’t.

Garbage disposals are a year-round solution and can help composters deal with some of the challenges and shortcomings of composting. InSinkErator garbage disposals are powerful enough to grind un-compostable meat, bones, dairy and eggs, as well as things like citrus peels, onions and garlic that can deter helpful insects, worms and bacteria from your compost pile. If leftover bread and pasta are attracting unwanted pests, grinding those scraps can also help keep pests out of your compost pile.

Many people believe that scraps such as chicken bones, eggshells and potato skins can’t or shouldn’t be put down a garbage disposal. Although this may be true for many competitor’s products, InSinkErator garbage disposals can handle many items others can’t. InSinkErator regularly takes garbage disposals off the assembly line and puts them through rigorous testing that includes grinding up a variety of fruit and vegetable scraps as well as frozen beef bones and wooden blocks.
The “I can’t grind that” myth springs from the belief that garbage disposals work like a blender, with spinning blades that can be dulled or clogged by stringy vegetables. The average consumer isn’t aware that garbage disposals don’t have blades—they have lugs mounted on a spinning plate that continuously forces food waste against a stationary grind ring.