A Greener Kitchen: Why Food Waste Belongs In the Compost Bin, Not the Sink
Even when using your garbage disposal, large amounts of food waste sent down the drain can still clog your pipes. 3.7 million tons of food waste was sent down drains here in the U.S. to the sewer/water treatment facilities.
Impacts on the water system:
- Food scraps that enter the sewage system can add to the load on wastewater treatment plants.
- Food waste can decompose in wastewater, leading to increased levels of organic matter, nutrients, and other pollutants in the water. This can harm aquatic life and degrade water quality.
- Wastewater treatment plants need to use more energy to process food waste, which can increase their carbon footprint.
- Greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater treatment were the second largest source of waste-related emissions in 2022, accounting for 25.6 percent of sector emissions.
What can the wastewater treatment plants do?
Some plants utilize anaerobic digesters. Anaerobic digestion is a process through which bacteria break down organic matter—such as animal manure, wastewater biosolids, and food wastes—in the absence of oxygen. During this process, the microbes create carbon dioxide and methane. The methane can then be isolated and used as a power source.
10% of water treatment facilities utilize anaerobic digesters. Most treatment plants use the biogas they produce as an energy resource for electricity or heat, but a number of them flare-off the biogas.
What can we do as residents?
- Use a sink strainer! This can be your first line of defense against food waste going down the drain.
- Invest in a composting garbage disposal. Sepura collects all food 3mm or larger! (click the link to save $200 on your order)
- Compost your food scraps.
Be sure to follow us on social media for more low waste tips and tricks every month! If you are in the DFW area, we would love to help you with all of your composting needs.