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Why are people in dozens of major U.S. cities putting more food scraps down their food waste disposers rather than in the trash can? It’s easy, sure, but maybe it’s also because a new study shows that it can result in lower global warming potential than sending that waste to landfills. The study, which aimed to understand the environmental impact of food waste disposal methods, also confirmed that food waste processed at advanced wastewater treatment facilities can generate renewable energy and produce beneficial fertilizers. That’s a win-win scenario.
More than 19 million tons of food waste from homes, restaurants and institutions end up in U.S. landfills - and it gets there in fossil fuel-burning trucks. Once there, the food waste decomposes, emitting methane, a greenhouse gas that’s at least 21 times more harmful than CO2 in trapping heat in the atmosphere.
An average community of 30,000 households could avoid more than 2,000 tons of CO2 emissions if most of its food scraps went through a disposer to a wastewater treatment facility instead of a landfill. That’s equal to eliminating 4.6 million miles of car traffic. And disposals themselves have a small environmental footprint, using only about 1 percent or less of a household’s total water consumption and costing - on average - less than 50 cents a year in electricity usage.
So now, people can feel better about tossing that apple core or banana peel down the drain, where it’s virtually liquefied to safely flow into the sewage system or septic tank. Disposers also offer the added bonus of cleaner food preparation areas, less cans and bags cluttering your home, and fewer trips carrying garbage to the curb.
Of course, food waste disposers require running water during operation, so be sure to use only the amount of water needed to properly liquefy waste.
Still, it’s nice to know that one environmental solution is likely as simple - and close - as the kitchen sink.
