Garbage Disposal Vs Composting: Which is Better?

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More than 50% of homes in the United States use garbage disposals to get rid of food scraps in their kitchen. However, this is mainly because more households have access to garbage disposal compared to methods of composting their food scraps. As a result, in-sink disposal is the most common method of disposing of food waste. However, this does not mean that garbage disposal is better than composting! After all, both composting and garbage disposal offer a simple way of keeping your food waste out of the trash. So, before you decide to install a garbage disposal in your home, you have to ask yourself; which is better; Garbage disposal vs composting?

Lucky for you, this blog post has listed the pros and cons of each approach. In addition, we’ll show you some popular composting methods you can try if you prefer at-home composting over using a kitchen food garbage disposal.

Let’s get into it!

Table of Contents

Pros and Cons of using a garbage disposal

Pros

First of all, putting food scraps down the in-sink disposal naturally reduces the amount of trash sent to incinerators or landfill. Not to mention that garbage disposals are relatively easy to use as they use electricity. At the same time, this will help you avoid any environmental or monetary costs associated with compost pick-up services.

In addition, some wastewater management facilities have systems that convert methane for garbage disposal solid waste into biofuels. Better yet, such systems are usually more efficient than similar energy capture systems used at landfills.

Cons

While using a garbage disposal to get rid of food scraps in your home has certain benefits, it has its set of drawbacks as well.

For instance, operating an in-sink disposal system requires a considerable amount of water and energy over time. Moreover, these appliances put an increased strain on the existing water pipes and plumbing system due to food waste and oil clogs, which can lead to costly plumbing bills, particularly in older buildings.

On top of that, some wastewater facilities do not capture methane from the food waste disposed of by garbage disposals. In that case, the food particles from the disposal unit will still be transported to landfills once they reach the final destination.

Lastly, there is a wide range of food items you can’t put in a garbage disposal. This includes items like avocado pits, egg shells, greasy pizza boxes, and so on. On the bright side, you can compost such items to break them down into a nutrient-rich compound.

Pros and Cons of Composting

Pros

Composting is a great way of getting rid of food scraps both for gardening and the environment. In fact, you can achieve most benefits associated with in-sink disposal through composting, and even take them to the next level.

For instance, composting food waste helps to reduce the cost of hauling trash. Plus, food scraps do not produce methane when you put them in a compost pit. Instead, composting absorbs carbon dioxide, thus reducing the amount of fossil fuels in the atmosphere.

However, this doesn’t mean that composting doesn’t generate some methane. Similar to any organic material, decomposing food scraps is expected to produce carbon dioxide and methane. Interestingly, if more air is included in the composting process, the compost material will emit more carbon dioxide instead of methane.

The process of introducing oxygen into the composting material is known as aerobic composting and is quite common in both commercial and backyard composting. Thanks to its ability to generate far less methane than anaerobic breakdown, which is common in landfills. And since methane has more negative impacts on the environment than carbon dioxide, aerobic composting is better as it reduces methane generation.

In addition, composting food scraps can aid in erosion control and improve local soil quality. You will not get these benefits when you put food scraps down a garbage disposal, yet they’re crucial in protecting the local environment and promoting food security in the country.

Drawbacks of Composting food scraps

On the downside, composting food items like garlic, onions, and citrus peels instead of putting them down a garbage disposal can deter helpful insects, bacteria, and worms from your compost pile. On the other hand, pasta and leftover bread tend to attract unwanted pests into the compost pile.

In addition, maintaining a compost bin is a time-consuming process and requires a lot of space. So, if you don’t have adequate outdoor space or time to maintain the bin, a garbage disposal may be the better option for disposing of food waste. Otherwise, the compost pile will still emit methane if you don’t maintain it properly, as is the case with landfills.

More importantly, composting will take a long time depending on the method used, especially if you live in an area with a cold climate since you cannot compost food scraps in winter. In comparison, garbage disposal offers you a fast and simple year-round solution for getting rid of your home’s food scraps.

Is Using garbage disposal bad for the environment?

Putting food waste down at garbage disposal is way better than throwing them in the trash. However, it will still result in solid waste in the wastewater system. For that, the waste has to be filtered and disinfected before it’s reused, resulting in biosolid that usually ends up in the landfill.

In some instances, the wastewater management facility may have a system that converts this biosolid into usable fuel. Unfortunately, this is usually not the case since most wastewater plants are not designed to turn food waste into usable fuel.

So, while using a garbage disposal is better for the environment than tossing the food scraps in a regular trash bin, it may still have a negative environmental impact if the food waste ends up in a landfill.

Luckily, there are some easy ways you can start composting food scraps instead of putting them down in a garbage disposal if you have a balcony, yard, or even a small space on the kitchen countertop.

8 Easy ways to compost food scraps at home instead of using a garbage disposal

Backyard composting

Although this is a traditional method, backyard composting is the easiest way to compost food scraps at home. Besides, you only need to choose an area of your backyard that receives a lot of sunlight and simply start throwing down the food scraps.

However, you need to ensure that you add ‘brown’ materials at a ratio of 3:1 to prevent the compost pile from becoming soggy and smelly. Moreover, you should turn the compost pile a few times every week to promote adequate air circulation.

Alternatively, you can use chicken wire and a wood frame to create a 2 or 3-sectioned DIY compost bin. That way, the first section will be for new compost, while the second and third will be used for partially broken down and finished compost respectively.

Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting refers to the process of breaking down food scraps and other garbage into fertile garden soil with the help of worms, creating compost you can use in your garden. When used properly, this method is odorless and requires little to no maintenance. Not to forget that the worms can break down a considerable amount of food waste for their size. Best all, most vermicomposters in the market are expandable, allowing you to add food scraps to them as needed.

Here’s an example of an attractive vermicomposter you can put in the corner of your kitchen and use it to break down food scraps.

Trench Composting

Unlike traditional backyard composting, trench composting allows you to put the food scraps straight into the garden.

First, you need to dig a trench, either alongside or through the garden area. Put the food scraps in the trench and cover it with soil as you go. Continue adding kitchen scraps and burying them along the trench until it is completely full, before digging another trench elsewhere.

Solar digester

A solar digester is a compost bin that turns your food scraps into water and carbon dioxide, allowing you to compost your kitchen waste with minimal effort. Unlike traditional methods, a solar digester doesn’t need turning or watering/ In addition, a solar digester is designed to sustainably get rid of kitchen waste and can handle any type of kitchen waste imaginable, including small amounts of pet waste.

Chicken composting

As the name suggests, this method involves raising chickens, while using them to create lovely compost for gardening. In short, you feed the kitchen scraps to your chicken, and they will in return produce nutrient-rich manure that you can use in your garden. In addition, chickens love to scratch at and spread around the compost, giving your pile a good turning.

Compost bin

A compost bin is a great way of getting rid of your kitchen waste if you have an apartment balcony for an outdoor space or a small backyard. Plus, it makes traditional composting a bit easier since the food scraps are easy to turn.

Similar to a regular compost pile, it’s important to turn the food scraps in a compost tumblr from time to time to ensure they get adequate oxygen. Luckily, it’s relatively easy to spin the compost, thanks to the convenient handle and round shape of a compost tumblr.

Community compost pile

Most neighborhoods have a garden with a community compost pile. So, if you’re not interested in composting your kitchen waste indoors or you don’t have a yard, you can always take it to the community compost pile.

Municipal pickup

Similar to recycling and garbage collection, most municipalities offer organic waste collection services and countertop bins for storing your food scraps. In addition, they provide larger bins that you can put on the curb on pickup day.

So, if you’re not interested in any of the composting methods we’ve mentioned above, you can use the municipal pickup to get rid of your kitchen waste that you cannot put down at the garbage disposal. This may include items like bones, dairy scraps, eggshells, fruit pits, and veggie scraps.