Think Twice Before Flipping the Garbage Disposal Switch

In-sink garbage disposals are a great modern convenience, but using them too much stresses your septic system or municipal water treatment facility. Most require about two gallons of water per minute-and that adds up to 700 gallons a year, according to Consumer Reports-and add organic matter, in the form of tough-to-process sludge, into the public sewer system, which requires increased amounts of water, chemicals and energy to treat. If it is going to a septic system, the organics cause a more rapid buildup of scum and sludge layers, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Just about all of the organic waste that would ordinarily go down the disposal can be added to your compost, greatly reducing both the amount of trash that goes to the landfill and the amount of water you have to pour down the disposal. So when it comes time to flip the switch, think twice before turning on the churning garbage disposal.

Tip: When replacing or upgrading your sink, cut the disposal out of the equation altogether and leave the organic waste break-down to your compost bin.

Difficulty level: Easy