Raleigh bans new garbage disposals
Yesterday, Raleigh, N.C. announced a ban on new garbage disposals in city homes and apartments, saying that the contraptions cause grease buildup in city pipes, which leads to raw sewage spills."There are few things that cause as much havoc in wastewater pipes as the used oil, shortening, and fat that many of us mindlessly dump into the sewers," said NPR reporter Adam Hochberg in a recent news story.
City officials also say they dislike disposals because they contribute to "bad kitchen habits." For example, more people might grind up chicken bones, which are full of grease and add to the clogged pipes. And the city pays millions of dollars per year to have the greasy pipes flushed out with chemicals to prevent the hated sewage spills.
Obviously, residents are pissed, but no more than InSinkErator, the garbage disposal maker. The company is prepared to argue its case in front of the city council.
Raleigh residents think the ban is invasive, and rightly so. But while the city is attempting to ban the disposal, they are trying to promote composting in its place, which is a great alternative. And, gee, maybe the city wouldn't have to take such drastic measures if the residents would just properly dispose of their grease. What's your take on all the greasy hubbub?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-18-2008 @ 6:44PM
Roger said...
My family traps most kitchen sink waste in the strainer and dumps it in the trash. We actually don't use the disposal. It seems like a waste of water to grind garbage up just to be able to have it go down the sink. I'm curious, are there other benefits to the disposal besides the ability to put more waste down the sink?
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3-18-2008 @ 10:38PM
A said...
Of course there are other benefits - you can scare the crap out of the cat or drown out the sound of a whiny guest. And neither of those require water. :)
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3-19-2008 @ 4:29PM
Jentry said...
I think it is a great idea. I think it would be even cooler if the city starts a city wide compost heap and come pick up your food scraps like they do in Boulder. Or make personal compost machines (like Nature Mill) more inexpensive to their residents.
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