Jeff Wisnia wrote:
effi wrote:

"Scott" wrote in message
news:41cb84dd.262530441@localhost...

I had an idea today about installing a second garbage disposal in my
kitchen, so I'd have one in either basin. It'd be swell for the
way I use the kitchen.

This is something I haven't seen before. Aside from the obvious
drawback (higher cost), is there any reason this would be a bad
idea?

Thanks,
-Scott


running one could possibly push garbage into the other when not
being used, or even just into the other's drain tube, and could then
dry and get clogged up

Maybe, but the intended function of a disposer is to grind up SMALL
bits of food washed off kitchenware, NOT to be stuffed full of potato
peelings, corncobs and other detrius by a lazy cook. That stuff
properly belongs in the kitchen garbage can, and it usually takes
less time to grab it and toss it in the can than it does for the
disposal to get rid of it, 'eh. If more folks used disposers properly
they'd last longer and clog less frequently.

Just about any disposal manufacturer will tell you that their disposals will
handle all of this just fine, and will have no problem with most bones or
chicken carcasses either. If you check with your local solid waste disposal
agency (garbage collection company) you will find that they are making
efforts to reduce food waste in landfills.

The best thing to do is to save most of your food scraps for a compost bin.
In general terms, composting any leftover vegetables, fruits, etc, is easy
to do, and can be mixed in with your lawn clippings and leaves in your
compost bin. Or you can get a worm bin and compost other things too. Don't
cook more meat than you plan to eat, and give the scraps to your dogs or
pigs. You can throw away the dried bones, or use them for soup first.

Some things, such as egg shells, should never go into a disposal, because
they clog up things at the treatment plants. But most of the things
mentioned can go into a disposal with little trouble. It's best to minimize
food waste in the first place, and then compost as much as possible of
what's left. More progressive cities have a food scrap recycling program
too. But if you are going to dispose of those things in another way, check
with your local agencies to see what they prefer. If they are like mine,
they will tell you to use the disposal over the garbage can for
environmental reasons when it comes to some items. They will probably also
tell you to save your oils and fats in a jar and where you can take them
too. And they will tell you to avoid putting some things in the disposal if
at all possible.

A good general rule is to put nothing in the disposal or landfill, but it
may not be practical.