One of the greatest benefits of google, aside from being able to find information on absolutely anything in seconds, is that we get to see what people are asking when they do their search. This lets us see the different questions people ask when they are searching for different pieces of restaurant equipment, commercial kitchen supplies, catering transport solutions, or just about any type of commercial foodservice equipment or supplies. Today we’re answering the four most common questions we found when searching for Commercial Food Waste Disposers.

Are Food Waste Disposers Good For the Environment?

This is a great question and one that has had lots of debate. A good deal of the research is based on residential food waste disposers but like so many things, apply what you learn about a household kitchen to a business that’s in the food business and you can safely say that your results will be magnified to whichever outcome they are pointed.

Here is the gist of the debate; a food waste disposer will reduce the amount of solid waste going from the kitchen into the garbage and onto the landfill BUT to do the job, a disposer uses a lot of water which is wasted. To get an idea of how much water is utilized with a disposer, the residential estimate is that the average sink flows at a rate of approximately 2 gallons of water per minute, or about 700 gallons per year based on minute-per-day use. A commercial disposer is run far more than a minute a day and the estimated increase in water use is exponential. Additionally, some believe that you are simply moving the problem from solid waste to sludge that goes into the sewar system to be dealt with by the water filtration plant.

At one point, in the 1970’s, New York City banned the use of Food Waste Disposers because the government believed that the food scraps could clog up the city’s sewer system and become a threat to the Hudson should there be any overflow from a storm. This was reversed after (then) Mayor Rudy Giuliani commissioned a year and a half long study to determine the effects would be seen in the event that the ban was lifted off Food Waste Disposes. This study showed that the main benefits were a reduction in rodents, animals and insects that spread diseases in the city and less solid waste being collected and take to landfill, leading to the ban being lifted in 1997.

A life-cycle analysis comparing different food waste collection systems generated in 2003, determined that Food Waste Disposers offered benefits that included lowered greenhouse gas emissions, road traffic and overall lower expenses to cities and towns responsible for dealing with trash. Also noted in the same study, was that sludge collected at the water treatment plant could be converted to methane and used to produce electricity or used as nitrogen – and phosphorus – rich soil fertilizer by farmers. But this only works if there is a modern, upgraded water treatment plant at the end of the system with these capabilities.

There are studies being done all the time on best practices for sustainability and important to you, if this is an important issue for you, we suggest you search for the most current information available on the internet.

Additionally, many brands of Commercial Food Waste Disposers offer water saving disposer systems. Hobart, Insinkerator and Salvajor, all brands that you will find on Cook’s Direct, offer water efficient commercial disposers.

What Can You Put in A Food Waste Disposer?

It is important to remember that not all types of food waste should go into a disposer. Here are some general guidelines; because a disposer grinds up waste, it is ideal for grinding organic and biodegradable foods. You want to avoid putting non-food materials like food wrappers, paper napkins, plastic straws, even single-use flatware should not go into a disposer. Additionally, grease, oils or solid fats can clog the waste plumbing so these should also not be put into the disposer.

Things that can go in a Garbage Disposal:

Fruits
vegetables
meats
poultry
breads
grains
bones
trimmings
seafood

Things that don’t go in a Commercial Food Waste Disposer:

artichokes or other fibrous foods
the top of pineapples
cornhusks
oyster and clamshells
aluminum or steel cans
plastic or metal flatware
glass
plastic wrap
disposable gloves
corrosive chemicals

How Much is a Food Waste Disposer?

For commercial food waste disposers, you really need to purchase based on anticipated usage and volume. Price is important, but this is an equipment item that will be working hard in any commercial foodservice operation. Most commercial kitchens start with a disposer that has at least ¾ HP. You also want to review the RPM of the unit to ensure that it will power through everything that gets thrown inside. You can expect to find light duty commercial machines starting around $1250 to $1500. When you get into the heavy-duty Food Waste Disposers, you can see the prices go up to the $3500 to $5000 range. Full Food Waste Disposal Systems that are customized can be much more than $5000, but these are systems that are designed as part of a greater dishmachine room project.

Cook’s has worked with many institutional foodservice operators to understand their processes and unique needs and assisted in the design, layout, and specifications of their dishroom including their food waste disposer system. We have a great deal of experience assisting clients to ensure they get the right system for an efficient and reliable Food Waste Disposal System and complete dishroom solution. Please give us a call if you are contemplating a dishroom renovation and let us assist you with your project.

How Does a Food Waste Disposal Unit Work?

A disposer unit connects underneath a sink. Beneath the connection to the sink is the grinding chamber were food waste gets broken down into very small particles. Typically, there is a partial rubber closure, known as a splashguard, at the top of a disposer to keep food waste from coming back up from the grinding chamber. Additionally, this closer can reduce any noise produced within the grinding chamber for quieter operation. Inside the grinding chamber, you’ll find a rotating metal turntable. Food waste that is pushed into the disposal drops onto this turntable. Two swiveling metal impellers mounted on top of the plate continuously throw the food waste against a grind ring which has sharp cutting edges until the food waste is broken down into small enough particles to pass through openings in the ring. Running water from the faucet then flushes the food particles through the grind ring out of the disposer, into your wastewater pipe and onto the sewage system.

Alternatively, there are other kinds of garbage disposal units are powered by water pressure, instead of electricity. As a replacement for the turntable and grind ring described above, this alternative design has a water-powered unit with an oscillating piston with blades attached to chop food waste into very small particles. Because of this cutting action, the water pressure powered food waste disposers can handle fibrous waste, however, water-powered units take longer than electric ones to break down the same amount of waste and require a high water pressure for proper functionality and so these types of units are less common.

Additionally, there are two main types of garbage disposers—continuous feed and batch feed. The more common continuous feed models are used by feeding in food waste after starting the unit. Batch feed units are used by placing waste inside the unit prior to starting operation. These units are started by placing a specially designed cover over the opening. Some covers manipulate a mechanical switch while others allow magnets in the cover to align with magnets in the unit. Small slits in the cover allow water to flow through. Batch feed models are considered safer to operate because the griding chamber is covered when in use, preventing foreign objects from falling inside.

Cook’s Direct carries multiple sizes and models of commercial food waste disposers from vendors like Insinkerator, Salvajor and Hobart. We can also assist you with replacement of an existing unit and any other upgrades you may be considering for your dishroom including sinks and faucets, worktables, and dish machines.