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Should You Get A Waste Disposal Unit

Pros and Cons

By Jaymie SuhPublished 4 years ago 8 min read
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Photo by Caroline Attwood on Unsplash

The kitchen is where you cook your food and where you clean up your plates. It is best if you can keep it clean and odor free. However, food wastes is a problem if you don't have a proper food waste disposal unit.

If you have this system in your kitchen, you can feel the convenience it will bring to your sink most especially. Most of us have to deal with food scraps and having food wastes cannot be eliminated.

You can lessen it but if you want to have a healthy meal, it also need to have fresh produce which you need to peel before you can cook them. Not everyone has a backyard either to dig a hole where they can dispose their food wastes.

So the best option is to get yourself a food waste disposal unit. It will cut off messy food waste from your kitchen so you don't have to worry about food scraps to get stuck there. Sometimes it takes days before the garbage collection happens.

What is a food waste disposal unit?

A food disposal unit is a disposal system that will be setup down on your sink. This modern kitchen system is a good way to handle food wastes so that you don't have to worry about disposing it properly.

This includes a shredding chamber that has blades to break down food waste into very small pieces. Then it will go through an impeller arm and plate to liquify the food wastes so it can go down to the drain.

Having this can also make you at ease about your plumbing. You know how pricey plumbers can get when you have to do a service call to fix your sink. So installing this system can help you keep up the health of your plumbing.

How does a food waste disposal unit work?

It effectively grind and liquified food wastes down to your sink. All these will just flow directly to the sewer system. That's a good way of making sure that you don't have to worry about clogged sink anymore.

Just make sure that you will only be disposing biodegradable waste to make sure that it will breakdown easily. That way, it will be more friendly to the environment. For the other stuff, you can bring it to the garbage collection to get treated.

Pros:

1. Shred food wastes for easy disposal

Having a food waste disposal unit can make food disposal easy and convenient. Since food waste will get shredded by its blades, it will be more drainage friendly.

2. Liquify the food particles to get down easily to the drain

Since it turns food scraps into liquid, you don't have to worry about your plumbing anymore.As long as you avoid dumping just about anything, it will stop your sink from getting clogged.

3. Keep your kitchen clean and odor free

Most people prefer to have a food waste disposal unit to their kitchen because it can keep their kitchen clean. It will also avoid getting foul odors because of rotten food scraps.

4. Low electricity requirements

Based on some reviews, the food waste disposal unit doesn't need a lot of electricity to powered up. It will not use a lot of power so you don't have to worry about getting a high electric bill.

5. Water Consumption

It doesn't need too much water since it is already set up to your plumbing system. The food scraps will get flushed away as you wash your dishes. You can save water and take care of your food wastes at the same time.

Cons:

1. Cannot deal with all kinds of food scraps

You cannot get everything from just one thing. Depending on the food waste disposal unit you will get, it may unable to handle other food scraps. So you better be careful with what you dump into your sink.

2. High Maintenance

Since you have to use it several times everyday, you also need to make sure to keep up with it regularly. You need to pay for the repairs or check ups to make sure that everything is working fine.

3. Can Be Expensive

There are some food waste disposal units that can fit your budget. The question is, can it lasts longer? Although this can end up expensive to buy something with a stainless steel blades, but it maybe the best option for you.

Are waste disposal units environmentally friendly?

Waste disposal units are environmentally friendly since food wastes is used as a natural compost for the soil. But others said otherwise. However, it is a better alternative than the usual waste disposal.

Once the food scraps from a food waste disposal unit gets treated, it will be good for the environment already. But it is still better to at least cut down with the food wastes to avoid dumping. But still, using a food waste disposal unit is way better than dumping them in a landfill that can have a greenhouse effect for the environment.

What can you put in a waste disposal unit?

You can put almost anything on your food waste disposal unit except for some food waste. Here are the food scraps that will be friendly to get down on your sink. It should help you to know what it can handle.

1. Cooked Meat Scraps

Scraps from cooked meat is fine since it is breakdown easily. Just don't dump raw meat or a chunk down there to avoid your unit to get messed up. Putting chunks can jam the blades causing it to fail. You don't want to always have to call for service all the time.

2. Fruit Scraps

If you happen to have fruit scraps, you can go ahead and dispose it off to your sink. That's fine because most fruits can get shredded from the blades of your food waste disposal unit. Just make sure to avoid dumping huge chunks or the rotten fruit. This will surely make a lot of mess to your kitchen.

3. Vegetable Scraps

As long as you stay away from disposing off vegetables like celery or asparagus, you will be fine. Most vegetables scraps can get handled by your food waste disposal unit. The blades can shred scrap veggies to make it easier to turn into liquid before it goes down to your drainage system.

4. Citrus Rinds

This can actually make your sink to smell better. Plus it will not clog your plumbing because it can get shredded off. It is actually recommended that you do it even once a week to keep your sink smelling fresh all the time. The citrus has an odor fighting agent that will make your sink smells fresh and clean.

What you can’t put in a waste disposal unit?

1. Potato Peels

It can create a huge mess on your food waste disposal unit. Since it's a form of starch, it might cause clogging in your plumbing in the long run. Just separate potato peels if you want to dispose of it. Or better yet, make a baked potato peels as a snack.

2. Egg Shells

Some believed that it is good for the blades of your food waste disposal unit. Others says that the membrane left on the shell though can cause the blades to jam. So if you are planning to dispose your egg shells, get rid of the membranes first.

3. Bones

It goes to all meat bones such as chicken, pork, beef and other meat with bones that you consume everyday. Since bones are hard, it cannot be gridded easily. It's just going to spin around and might mess the blades of your food waste disposal unit. That is not a good site so better save the bones if you have a dog. They can appreciate it more.

4. Grease and Oil

Oil and greasy stuff cannot be break down as it will only separate itself to water. Plus when the weather gets colder, it will stiffened causing you to have a clogged sink. It means that you have to make a service call just after a few days to take off the grease. So avoid dumping oil or grease to your sink if you don't want to pay for service and repairs all the time.

5. Pasta

Not because you love pasta it will be fine for your food waste disposal unit. Any type of pasta, can swell up when soaked in water. Avoid disposing rice as well if you don't want to have any issues with your plumbing system. These kind of food is the perfect way to clog your sink.

6. Celery and Fruit Pits

Celery has a lot of fibers that can cause the blades to get tangled. Avoid disposing it off as well as asparagus or corn husk. Same goes with fruit pits such as avocado or peaches. It's too hard to get gridded and can cause problems and make a huge mess.

7. Coffee

Don't let coffee granules on your food waste disposal unit just because you think it can just go down the drain quickly. Coffee granules will only get stuck in your sink and piles up in the long run.

Conclusion

Should You Get A Food Waste Disposal Unit? Yes if you want to make it easier for you to dispose of food waste. It is a good investment for your kitchen to keep it clean and odor free all the time. Who doesn't want to have that?

Convenience is one of the reasons why a lot of people are getting their own food waste disposal unit. Although it can look expensive at first, you can appreciate the use in the long run. Owning a unit is both beneficial to your sink as well as your dishwasher.

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About the Creator

Jaymie Suh

A highly regarded writer known for her insightful and engaging content. With a passion for storytelling and a talent for crafting compelling narratives, she has made a significant impact in the world of online writing and content creation.

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