# Is it more environmentally friendly to put food scraps down the garbage disposal or to put them in the kitchen trash? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 1, 2022, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828 "2022-12-01T02:23:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/1 "2022-12-01T02:23:06Z")
I’m in California if it matters. Please keep discussions about composting or other methods out of this thread ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/2 "2022-12-01T02:33:02Z")
My guess follows. If you’re putting the stuff in the garbage disposal (which is really a misnomer; it’s a garbage grinder), it’ll be introduced to the community sewage system and find its way into the sewage treatment plant for the water to be treated. If you put it in the kitchen trash, then it will be taken to a waste management facility where _they_ will introdce it to their commercial composting heaps. IMHO, it seems that the garbage disposal is not the environmentally friendly way to go. ---
**Author:** ![Keith1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Keith1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith1)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/3 "2022-12-01T02:34:13Z")
If by garbage disposal you mean an in sink compactor thingy, put them in your trash, or at some point you’ll be calling a plumber. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/4 "2022-12-01T02:35:44Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > If you put it in the kitchen trash, then it will be taken to a waste management facility where _they_ will introdce it to their commercial composting heaps. By kitchen trash, I’m assuming the OP meant the stuff designated for the landfill. I don’t think the municipal authority is going through your trash and pulling out anything that can go to the industrial compost facility. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/5 "2022-12-01T02:38:27Z")
What do you think goes in an in-sink disposal if not food scraps? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/6 "2022-12-01T02:39:28Z")
I remember one episode of _Home Improvement_ where Tim ran a tree through his disposal. ---
**Author:** ![Keith1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Keith1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith1)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/7 "2022-12-01T02:47:27Z")
It depends on the type of food scraps. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/8 "2022-12-01T02:52:16Z")
> [@susan](#): > > What do you think goes in an in-sink disposal if not food scraps? The Hand of Your Betrayer. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/9 "2022-12-01T03:11:15Z")
[Sez here:](https://stanfordmag.org/contents/leftovers-into-the-trash-or-kitchen-disposal-essential-answer/) > [@](#): > > […] when composting truly isn’t an option, should we toss food waste in the trash or shred in the kitchen disposal? Essentially, it’s a not-great choice between clogging landfills, or stressing sewage treatment plants and potentially polluting waterways. […] > > In general, the kitchen sink trumps the trash in terms of climate impact and energy use. But kitchen disposals can have more negative impacts on surrounding waterways and they use a significant amount of water—approximately [one gallon per person per day](http://money.guardian.co.uk/ethicalliving/story/0,,1839748,00.html). > > In the end, dealing with non-compostable waste depends on where you live. In areas where water is scarce, or where sewage treatment is insufficient, the trash is the most environmentally conscious choice for waste disposal. Otherwise, the kitchen sink is your best bet, especially if your local wastewater treatment plant harnesses the methane it generates. However, though I know your OP requested no discussion of composting, AFAICT [you Californians are now (as of this year) legally required to have municipal compost collection?](https://calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/slcp/collection/) > [@](#): > > New Statewide Mandatory Organic Waste Collection > > Beginning in 2022, [SB 1383](https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/slcp) requires every jurisdiction to provide organic waste collection services to all residents and businesses. […] > > - “Organic waste” includes food, green material, landscape and pruning waste, organic textiles and carpets, lumber, wood, paper products, printing and writing paper, manure, biosolids, digestate, and sludges. So if it’s not too nosy a question, why are you trying to decide between non-composting methods of food waste disposal? Looks like the problem’s been solved for you. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/10 "2022-12-01T03:12:21Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I’m in California if it matters. Please keep discussions about composting or other methods out of this thread It might matter. How much additional water are you using flushing things through the disposal? Does your trash go to a landfill? How does the landfill deal with methane production? What’s the bigger issue, water shortages or climate change? And so on and so forth. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/11 "2022-12-01T03:25:29Z")
Just because it’s legally required doesn’t mean it’s happening. I’ve been contacting the local service providers for months trying to figure out how to set up composting for our condo complex. Nobody will give me a straight answer. Apparently the complex as a whole cannot do this. Instead, each individual unit owner has to call the recycling company to have it set up. That makes zero sense. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/12 "2022-12-01T03:26:58Z")
Sorry to hear it! Am shutting up about composting now to avert the OP’s potential wrath, though. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/13 "2022-12-01T03:59:01Z")
> [@naita](#): > > It might matter. How much additional water are you using flushing things through the disposal? Does your trash go to a landfill? How does the landfill deal with methane production? What’s the bigger issue, water shortages or climate change? And so on and so forth. I wanted to bring this point back up because if you’re using your disposal ‘properly’, it’s a LOT more water than expected, despite several claims to the contrary. Because numerous sources indicate that after you’ve used the disposal to keep the water running for between 20-30 seconds afterwards, to make sure everything is flushed past the majority of pipe bends. That adds up fast. Sure, it’s not a lot compared to certain high volume usages (my wife’s love of looooong hot showers) - but it’s one that sneaks up on you and is easy to dismiss. Plus, other incidentals of garbage disposal use have their own impact: cleaners, clog removers (if you don’t use excessive water), deodorizers, [consequences if you don’t use it on appropriate materials](https://comb.io/O3jJmV)… All joking aside though, you can use tons of non-toxic options to clean and improve the smell of your system, but generally at higher cost and lower efficacy, which in turn adds to the net costs, cash and environmental of using the disposal. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/14 "2022-12-01T04:44:33Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > So if it’s not too nosy a question, why are you trying to decide between non-composting methods of food waste disposal? Looks like the problem’s been solved for you. Fair question. Neighboring areas have you throw your scraps in the green waste. My outfit asked us not to do that until they have something in place. My op came out of a debate I had with my mom earlier. I think it’s better to throw them in the garbage. I rarely use the disposal. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/15 "2022-12-01T04:45:44Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > By kitchen trash, I’m assuming the OP meant the stuff designated for the landfill. I don’t think the municipal authority is going through your trash and pulling out anything that can go to the industrial compost facility. Correct. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/16 "2022-12-01T04:49:10Z")
Overall, garbage is most likely a bit better. Less water and electric. No wear and tear on anything you own. The methane is maybe more at the dump, but overall should be lower impact. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/17 "2022-12-01T04:59:52Z")
Mom’s main counter argument is that scraps make the garbage stinky so you have to throw out the bag before it’s totally full sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/18 "2022-12-01T05:35:22Z")
In some places sewage plants compost their biosolids. In other places the biosolids go to a landfill. It will be important to know what your sewage plant does before making a decision. ---
**Author:** ![Mortimus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Mortimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mortimus)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/19 "2022-12-01T05:56:52Z")
We have a garbage disposal and we are on a septic system. I make it a point to never wash down large chunks of anything, food scraps go directly into the garbage. But smaller gack gets rinsed off into the garbage disposal before going in the dishwasher or getting hand washed. The smaller gack is allowed to build up in the garbage disposal for a day or so, then it gets run and thoroughly rinsed. Been living here for 18 years and no plugged plumbing yet. Honey wagon guy says we only need to get pumped every 6 years instead of the 3 years mandated by the county. I still have to pay him to come here every three years for what amounts to him signing the paper for the county. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828/20 "2022-12-01T06:26:11Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > I wanted to bring this point back up because if you’re using your disposal ‘properly’, it’s a LOT more water than expected, despite several claims to the contrary. Because numerous sources indicate that after you’ve used the disposal to keep the water running for between 20-30 seconds afterwards, to make sure everything is flushed past the majority of pipe bends. > > That adds up fast. So what about instead of using an in-sink disposal, throwing food scraps into the toilet? With a modern low-flush model, does it use less water that way? (Especially if you do this after using the toilet, when you would flush it anyway.) Of course, even better environmentally is the organic disposal – household pets. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-put-food-scraps-down-the-garbage-disposal-or-to-put-them-in-the-kitchen-trash/975828.md?page=2)