Insinkerator, yay or nay?

nofoollikeold

Alternatively it is people getting rid of food waste in a hygienic way avoiding land fill.  After all, this is only undigested food going into the sewage system, digested food already goes there.

Rosa_Damascena

nofoollikeold said:

Alternatively it is people getting rid of food waste in a hygienic way avoiding land fill.  After all, this is only undigested food going into the sewage system, digested food already goes there.

You are talking about feeding the grey water system. Faecal waste goes through the sewage system so it's not the same thing at all.

Money_Grabber13579

nofoollikeold said:

Alternatively it is people getting rid of food waste in a hygienic way avoiding land fill.  After all, this is only undigested food going into the sewage system, digested food already goes there.

It’s still going to end up in some kind of landfill. It’s not converted into water and so will have to be filtered back out again at some point.

ashe

Yeah saw these and my first thought was oil from food clogging up drains over time

Swasterix

Rosa_Damascena said:

nofoollikeold said:

Alternatively it is people getting rid of food waste in a hygienic way avoiding land fill.  After all, this is only undigested food going into the sewage system, digested food already goes there.

You are talking about feeding the grey water system. Faecal waste goes through the sewage system so it's not the same thing at all.

Unless you have combined drains, which we do. 

I have one. It’s great. Stops the bin from stinking and has never blocked. 

Parents have had one for probably 20 years, also never blocked. 

MaryNB

Rosa_Damascena said:

nofoollikeold said:

Alternatively it is people getting rid of food waste in a hygienic way avoiding land fill.  After all, this is only undigested food going into the sewage system, digested food already goes there.

You are talking about feeding the grey water system. Faecal waste goes through the sewage system so it's not the same thing at all.

If a house has separate sewers generally it's only runoff from roofs and pavements that goes into the storm water system. Connecting sinks/showers/baths to the storm water system causes issues already because we could end up sending detergents and soaps directly to the watercourse.

nofoollikeold said:

Alternatively it is people getting rid of food waste in a hygienic way avoiding land fill.  After all, this is only undigested food going into the sewage system, digested food already goes there.

I like the idea of putting food waste down in the sink in areas where the council doesn't collect food waste separately or in apartment blocks that don't facilitate it.

However if everyone did it I there would be more load on the wastewater treatment works. Either way (separate food collection or via sewers) it'll be used to generate gas. The biosolids generated can be used as fertiliser. Just will take more work via the wastewater treatment works because instead of separating it at source it's separated in a works requiring technology to do so. 

With a separate food waste system the gas and biosolids produced are from food. In wastewater it will be mixed with everything else, including trade effluent so is harder to deal with. Riskier to use as fertiliser so could end up at a landfill. With regards to waste management, separation at source is preferable.

theoretica

MaryNB said:

However if everyone did it I there would be more load on the wastewater treatment works. Either way (separate food collection or via sewers) it'll be used to generate gas. The biosolids generated can be used as fertiliser. Just will take more work via the wastewater treatment works because instead of separating it at source it's separated in a works requiring technology to do so. 

With a separate food waste system the gas and biosolids produced are from food. In wastewater it will be mixed with everything else, including trade effluent so is harder to deal with. Riskier to use as fertiliser so could end up at a landfill. With regards to waste management, separation at source is preferable.

Worth looking up the specific waste treatment plant that your drains go to - many are shockingly poor and far from the abilities of the best.

MaryNB

theoretica said:

MaryNB said:

However if everyone did it I there would be more load on the wastewater treatment works. Either way (separate food collection or via sewers) it'll be used to generate gas. The biosolids generated can be used as fertiliser. Just will take more work via the wastewater treatment works because instead of separating it at source it's separated in a works requiring technology to do so. 

With a separate food waste system the gas and biosolids produced are from food. In wastewater it will be mixed with everything else, including trade effluent so is harder to deal with. Riskier to use as fertiliser so could end up at a landfill. With regards to waste management, separation at source is preferable.

Worth looking up the specific waste treatment plant that your drains go to - many are shockingly poor and far from the abilities of the best.

I definitely know the one my wastewater goes to has a major waste to energy facility. I've worked on quite a few STWs and generally the poorer or smaller works just send sludge to the larger works that have sludge treatment facilities. Although I've only worked with two of the major water companies (and obviously haven't been to anywhere close all their sites) so I'm sure there are those with poorer standards. As someone involved in the design of sewage works, I would prefer not to have additional material that could clog or settle in equipment...but I also lived in an area where food could only go in the black bin which I loathed. 

Belenus

SameOldRoundabout said:

We are having our kitchen done, and insinkerator was high on my wish list. There’s 6 of us, including 4 fussy kids so the leftover scraps are high. I hate the food bin. Kids miss and food goes everywhere. 

I was looking at an Evo 150/250 as there’s an offer on them from a supplier but a plumber has just said don’t ever get one, they need rodding constantly as they get clogged etc. 

Any real life experiences with them? Thanks 

Insinkerator, yay or nay?

A definite nay from me.

 A much better solution would be to reduce food wastage to a level where you don't need an expensive insinkerator that costs you money, breaks down regularly and puts unnecessary demands on waste water systems.

Buy and/or cook less food and teach your children to be less fussy eaters and to be more careful in using bins. Who cleans up the mess they make? If it were my children it would be them who cleaned up any mess and they would soon learn not to make a mess.

Put leftovers in the fridge or freeze them for later consumption.

Swasterix

Belenus said:

SameOldRoundabout said:

We are having our kitchen done, and insinkerator was high on my wish list. There’s 6 of us, including 4 fussy kids so the leftover scraps are high. I hate the food bin. Kids miss and food goes everywhere. 

I was looking at an Evo 150/250 as there’s an offer on them from a supplier but a plumber has just said don’t ever get one, they need rodding constantly as they get clogged etc. 

Any real life experiences with them? Thanks 

A much better solution would be to reduce food wastage to a level where you don't need an expensive insinkerator that costs you money, breaks down regularly and puts unnecessary demands on waste water systems.

Buy and/or cook less food and teach your children to be less fussy eaters and to be more careful in using bins. Who cleans up the mess they make? If it were my children it would be them who cleaned up any mess and they would soon learn not to make a mess.

Put leftovers in the fridge or freeze them for later consumption.

Mine was £100, negligible in the grand scheme of fitting a kitchen. It has never broke down. Parents have just replaced theirs, previous one was going without issue for close to 20 years. 

I despise food waste, I keep leftovers where I can, my child is not a fussy eater but some waste is unavoidable. When it happens, it’s going down the sink I’m afraid.