# What does a garbage disposal system accomplish? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 6, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509 "2011-06-06T16:28:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/41 "2011-06-06T20:10:00Z")
Interesting. I scrape into the garbage all the big stuff because I’m lazy. That is, I find introducing large food stuffs into the garbage disposal to be a chore that is more easily dealt with by scraping it into the regular garbage. The small stuff, I don’t scrape, again because I’m lazy and washing it with water (or just dumping it into the dishwasher) is easier than scraping every little teeny tiny bit of food. I view the garbage disposal as being a convenience over needing to have that annoying filter that always clogs making me have to stick my hand into yucky water to clean it out. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/42 "2011-06-06T20:11:58Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > Don’t remember ever seeing one of those, although I’m aware of the concept. I don’t know if they’re common in Montreal. I’ve never lived in a house or an apartment with one and I can’t remember ever seeing one, except in California once. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/43 "2011-06-06T20:17:18Z")
Well there you go. I guess **suranyi** only lived in rich people’s houses in Montreal. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/44 "2011-06-06T20:19:10Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > I’ve never lived in a house or an apartment with one and I can’t remember ever seeing one, except in California once. I’m certain that the newer condominiums in Cote Saint Luc have them. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/45 "2011-06-06T20:20:33Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > Well there you go. I guess **suranyi** only lived in rich people’s houses in Montreal. 😉 I lived in Cote Saint Luc. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/46 "2011-06-06T20:27:38Z")
Quoth **Mangetout** : > [@](#): > > Concur, but I think hand washing of dishes is a completely different affair in the USA to what it is here in the UK - I’m pretty sure that the American mode of operation involves scrubbing the dishes under a constantly-running stream of water. This might be a sitcom convention or something, but it’s not the way anyone ever actually does it, save possibly for bachelors who have a sink full of dirty dishes and only wash as much as they need at a time. Ordinarily, we fill up a couple of basins, one with soapy water and the dirty dishes, and one with clear water for rinsing, and the water’s only running for as long as it takes to fill the basins. ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/47 "2011-06-06T20:28:13Z")
Interesting article on the negatives of garbage disposals at [treehugger](http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/02/trash-talking-the-garbage-disposal.php). Argues that they potentially could overwhelm the capacity of the treatment plant if adopted in too high numbers too quickly. More an issue for new markets I think than most U.S. municipalities. But I did find the argument about bio-gas capturing to make a lot of sense. In my area there are no wastewater treatment facilities with bio-gas capture that I know of. But the large regional solid waste landfill site does do bio-gas capture. Guess I’ll do my part and start putting more organics in the trash and less down the pipe. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/48 "2011-06-06T20:39:44Z")
> [@Hbns](#): > > First, I quoted operating instructions from a reputable manufacturer. Not advertising. So far you have provided anecdotes of doom and gloom. > > Further, my future Father-in-law a licensed master plumber with 42 years experience kindly disagrees with your assessment. > > I’m willing to have my ignorance fought, but given the contrary evidence I will need a little more than just your word. > > ETA. I have to go with what md2000 said regarding drain blockages. Did you miss the part about running a construction department? All told, I worked in the construction/maintenance/facilities management business for forty years, most of which was in residential properties. I worked with a lot of plumbers and made a lot of late night service calls for plugged drains/pipes over the years. I’ve never talked to a plumber who had any use for a disposal, although I didn’t quiz every single one that I met. So it’s more than just my word: it’s several decades of professional experience. Does that round it out a bit more for you? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/49 "2011-06-06T20:56:33Z")
Now that we’ve solved the garbage disposal issue (by the way, a very common brand in the U.S. is “In-Sink-Erator”) can we discuss what the point is of a garbage _compactor_? When I was growing up, all our rich friends had them. Haven’t seen one in years. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/50 "2011-06-06T20:58:21Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Quoth **Mangetout** :This might be a sitcom convention or something, but it’s not the way anyone ever actually does it, save possibly for bachelors who have a sink full of dirty dishes and only wash as much as they need at a time. Ordinarily, we fill up a couple of basins, one with soapy water and the dirty dishes, and one with clear water for rinsing, and the water’s only running for as long as it takes to fill the basins. The running water method is definitely out there in the wild ([cite](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9803566&postcount=12)), although I concede it may be less common than I imagined, however, **Machine Elf** ’s post #17 sounds like it may be implying a running stream (the bit about strainer getting _repeatedly_ clogged during a single session). ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/51 "2011-06-06T20:59:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Quoth **Mangetout** :This might be a sitcom convention or something, but it’s not the way anyone ever actually does it, save possibly for bachelors who have a sink full of dirty dishes and only wash as much as they need at a time. Ordinarily, we fill up a couple of basins, one with soapy water and the dirty dishes, and one with clear water for rinsing, and the water’s only running for as long as it takes to fill the basins. First of all, I’ve never had a kitchen sink with two basins. Second, I’m disgusted by the idea of filling up a sink which gradually gets more and more polluted by food waste. I can’t imagine that any but the very first dish washed in that bacterial soup can possibly be clean in any sense. I do it the way Mangetout describes and I know a lot of other people who do. I run the water and scrub and rinse each dish individually under running water. ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/52 "2011-06-06T21:16:04Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I’ve never talked to a plumber who had any use for a disposal, although I didn’t quiz every single one that I met. So it’s more than just my word: it’s several decades of professional experience. Does that round it out a bit more for you? It fits right in with the future father in law’s experience. Public housing, apartments, and rental properties are often over represented when it comes to sewer issues. He attributes it to people not knowing better and/or not caring what they put down the drain. Can disposals contribute to sewer problems? I’ll buy that. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/53 "2011-06-06T21:23:16Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Wait a second – don’t you live in Canada? Every residence I’ve been to in Canada has a garbage disposal, usually called a “garborator”. > > At least in Montreal. I’m not particularly sociable so I don’t get around a lot, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one, and I’ve been a canuck all my life. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/54 "2011-06-06T21:38:09Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > I lived in Cote Saint Luc. I’m not all that familiar with Montreal. Is Côte-Saint-Luc an upscale neighbourhood? Also, you talk about newer condominiums, which I guess may be intended for affluent young professionals and thus more likely to include a variety of time-saving domestic devices. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/55 "2011-06-06T22:25:12Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > So, they grind up food solids to make for a smaller garbage volume? Is that it? > > Why? I’ve wondered that too. Oddly enough, there was one in the kitchen of my current place when I bought it. I had it removed. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/56 "2011-06-06T22:44:03Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > First of all, I’ve never had a kitchen sink with two basins. Second, I’m disgusted by the idea of filling up a sink which gradually gets more and more polluted by food waste. I can’t imagine that any but the very first dish washed in that bacterial soup can possibly be clean in any sense. The meal you just ate is riddled with pollution and bacteria? :eek: > [@](#): > > I do it the way Mangetout describes and I know a lot of other people who do. I run the water and scrub and rinse each dish individually under running water. I should clarify that whilst I describe this method, I don’t _sub_scribe to it. I use the two-bowl method, and I’m fairly sure I get the dishes cleaner than I could by running them under a constant stream in anything like the same time. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/57 "2011-06-06T23:37:48Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Did you miss the part about running a construction department? All told, I worked in the construction/maintenance/facilities management business for forty years, most of which was in residential properties. I worked with a lot of plumbers and made a lot of late night service calls for plugged drains/pipes over the years. I’ve never talked to a plumber who had any use for a disposal, although I didn’t quiz every single one that I met. So it’s more than just my word: it’s several decades of professional experience. Does that round it out a bit more for you? > [@Hbns](#): > > It fits right in with the future father in law’s experience. Public housing, apartments, and rental properties are often over represented when it comes to sewer issues. He attributes it to people not knowing better and/or not caring what they put down the drain. > Can disposals contribute to sewer problems? I’ll buy that. We replaced our disposer a year or so ago. The old one came with our house, and was probably the cheapest one they could get. Over ten years, it had got to the point where it was clogging about once a week, according to my wife, and she was being very careful what she put down it. Never had to call the plumber, but it did have to be plunged. I replaced it with a new, middle quality in-sink-erator, and now she doesn’t worry about it, and it never clogs, even with a “thanksgiving worth of potato skins” put down it. Much quieter, too. I would expect that public housing, apartments, and other rental properties would be the ones to have cheaper, older disposers, so it’s perhaps not surprising that those would also have disposer backup problems. But for a new (I’ve only had it a year or two, so I can’t say yet how it will hold up) good quality disposer, egg shells, potato skins, apple cores, citrus rings, and vegetable stems are just not a problem. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/58 "2011-06-06T23:42:30Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I do it the way Mangetout describes and I know a lot of other people who do. I run the water and scrub and rinse each dish individually under running water. > [@Mangetout](#): > > I should clarify that whilst I describe this method, I don’t _sub_scribe to it. I use the two-bowl method, and I’m fairly sure I get the dishes cleaner than I could by running them under a constant stream in anything like the same time. I’m in-between you two. One bowl with soap water, and rinse using the running water. I start with just a little soap water, and rinse into the soap water until it’s full enough, then rinse into the other sink. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/59 "2011-06-06T23:50:02Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > I’m not all that familiar with Montreal. Is Côte-Saint-Luc an upscale neighbourhood? Also, you talk about newer condominiums, which I guess may be intended for affluent young professionals and thus more likely to include a variety of time-saving domestic devices. Upper middle class, I’d say. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509/60 "2011-06-06T23:51:57Z")
Am I the only one composting my vegetable waste? I have a green bin, so it could all go in that if I didn’t have a garden, but mostly my potato peels and onion skins and egg shells and coffee grounds go in my yard composter. I can’t imagine flushing that down the sink. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-garbage-disposal-system-accomplish/584509.md?page=4)