Australia’s problem with food waste has existed for generations. We generate over 7.3 million tonnes of food annually, about 300 kg of waste per person. That shouldn’t be surprising, considering that 35% of the average household bin is food waste.
More than 5 million tonnes of the total food waste ends up in landfills, which is problematic since this organic waste produces toxic greenhouse gases, including methane.
Food waste going to landfills is why waste disposal units are created. This invention aims to curb the global problem of food waste by diverting them from landfills to sewerage facilities.
What are Waste Disposal Units?
Waste Disposal Units are a great innovation to solve the problem of food waste. It is a kitchen appliance placed under the sink to break down your discarded food waste.
Waste disposers have a built-in grinder to crush the food waste into finely ground particles. Afterward, the device washes them out safely into the sewage system, which will treat the food waste just like how wastewater is treated.
Items You Can Throw in Waste Disposal Units
Waste disposal units are designed to deal with myriad types of food waste, including:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Peelings
- Meat and fish
- Small bones
- Prepared dishes
- Baked products
- Cereal
Items You Shouldn’t Throw in Waste Disposal Units
As a kitchen appliance for food waste disposal, it should be clear that you can only throw food and organic items in the disposal unit.
Other types of rubbish, such as packaging materials and baby wipes, should not go in there. Other food items you shouldn’t throw into the unit are:
- Oil, grease, and animal fat
- Fibrous and stringy food like celery, asparagus, and corn husks
- Hard meat bones may be too difficult for your waste disposal unit to grind
- Food products that expand like rice, pasta, and oatmeal
- Coffee grounds
- Eggshells
- Avocado seeds and peach pits
- Starchy food like potatoes and beans
Advantages of Having a Waste Disposal Unit at Home
Waste disposal units work miracles for homeowners.
- Hygiene – Waste disposal units eliminate the unpleasant experience of having smelly trash bins for food waste. Thus, no more flies, pesky pests, unpleasant smell, and bacteria around your food preparation area.
- Convenience – Waste disposal units minimise the effort and time needed to clean up after meals. Moreover, this appliance also reduces the inconvenience of handling nasty food waste and cleaning organic waste bins.
- Safe and quiet to use – Modern waste disposals are quieter than ever, so you don’t disturb your family or neighbours. They are also safe to use because they don’t use sharp knives and blades to grind food.
- Environmentally sustainable – This appliance reduces food waste that goes into landfills.
The Problem with Waste Disposal Units
Waste disposal units’ sustainability does not compare to when you compost your food waste. That means throwing your food into your disposal unit is not the best method to deal with organic waste.
When you do so, you don’t make the most out of your food waste compared to when you compost them; you turn them into organic fertiliser for your soil and plants.
Waste disposal units also pose a negative environmental impact. Organic rubbish flushed down the sink could end up in the ocean and water bodies. These tiny food wastes could harm aquatic organisms and plants when not treated properly.
Reports also reveal that grease and animal fat blobs, called fatbergs, cause issues in household sewerage systems. These nasty grease and animal fat clog the drains in their solid state, giving off an unpleasant smell.
Conclusion
Food waste is only a part of Australia’s problem with rubbish piling up. More than the continuous burgeoning of trash generated in the country, we also face a recycling crisis. We produce more waste than we can recycle, so they often end up in landfills.
While having a waste disposal unit at home could help reduce food waste that goes into landfills, this kitchen appliance is only second best to composting in terms of environment-friendliness.
Paul’s Rubbish Removal is your reliable partner in keeping the earth clean and green.
We practice sustainable rubbish removal methods to deal with all your rubbish properly. Our team of professional rubbish removalists can handle any rubbish you want us to collect and dispose of, including food waste. We guarantee that we will collect, sort, transport, recycle and dispose of all the clutter in your home and commercial areas.
Feel free to call us at 0407 125 125 or email us. Let us do the heavy lifting for you so you can rest and spend time with your family.
