I recently watched a TV commercial about not putting food scraps down the garbage disposal. What!? Have I been doing something wrong all these years? If the "food waste disposal" (or garbarator according to my family from the North)isn't for food scraps than why in the heck do I have one?
I did some digging and here's what I concluded. Disposals use a lot of extra water and are DEFINITELY NOT for greasy items such as fats from meat, oils, butter and even dairy products. Even if you can't see the grease in your own sink, it will likely build along with the grease from your neighbors disposal, and cause some serious drainage issues down the road. Depending on where you live, its probably OK to use the disposal to cut up fruits and veggies but if you have the ability, composting is king. If you live in a city, think about vermicomposting--using worms to do the dirty work.
I've been thinking about composting for awhile (not so sure about vermicomposting) so I'll investigate the best systems for small yards and save that for another post. Now that I know that garbage disposals are probably not the best thing for our planet, I need to be more proactive about changing my habits. I'll let you know how this goes.
Be smart. Be bold. Be happi.
Molly
Garbage disposals are illegal in Cary now I think - they don't let the new houses have them because of the oil issues. There's a great segment Oprah did on vermicomposting you can find on her website that's pretty interesting. Stay happi!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to hearing what you think of compositing- we love it! Check to see if Cary offers weekend compositing classes! In our community they offer monthly classes and discount on composting bins- both regular and worm bins.
ReplyDeleteAt our house, we save all compostable food scraps and shredded paper. Also, a great tip is to pick up the bags of used coffee grounds from Starbucks! They are a great addition to your compost pile.
It doesn't require that much extra work and the benefits you reap are worth it!
I live in Charlotte and took a class on composting offered through the county. Now I do it! I don't have a bin, they just gave us some wire fencing to fashion into a bin...which allows air to get through etc.
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