The Advantages of a Garbage Disposal

Environment

• Garbage disposals have a smaller negative impact on the environment than putting the waste into a trash bag and leaving it at the street for collection. By disposing of food waste through the sewer system, you avoid adding to the millions of ton of garbage that pack our nation's landfills. Landfill trash produces methane, a gas which has a negative environmental impact. Disposing of waste with a garbage disposal also reduces the amount of garbage trucks on the road.

Safer

• Some evidence suggests that garbage disposals have an advantage over traditional disposal methods because they do not attract animals and insects that might spread disease. New York City, which banned garbage disposals in the 1970s, later authorized a study that showed the city would benefit from having fewer pests, such as cockroaches and rats, seeking out trash bags and landfills in search of food. New York City repealed the ban in 1997.

Cost

• The home garbage disposal cuts trash elimination costs significantly for local communities compared with other systems, according to a study done by the University of Wisconsin in 1998. The study tested the overall costs of five different systems of waste disposal. A system that used garbage disposals and public treatment plants was the least expensive for the municipality. This system was far cheaper than the second least expensive method, collecting the trash and transporting it to landfills.

Miscellaneous

• Trash bags inevitably produce an unpleasant odor as the waste products break down. Garbage disposals eliminate this problem and reduce the chances of bacteria forming in your home. Modern wastewater plants can take the sludge produced by home waste and turn it into electricity or soil amendments. Although garbage disposals may have a few disadvantages, such as the amount of noise they make while running, the good points seem to outweigh the bad.