What is the most environmental way to dispose of food waste?

Question

I know that composting food scraps is really the best option, environmentally, but it's not really an option for me. We are in a drought where I live, and are trying to conserve water. But I'm also trying to reduce the amount of garbage I send to landfills. So, am I better off putting food waste in the garbage or through the disposal?

Answer 1

If you have to choose between garbage (landfill) and disposal (down the sink), the sink is probably better since the bacteria in the septic tank or at the waste water treatment facility will "eat" the food.  That's technically "recycling."  At the landfill, it will sit for who knows how long underground, very slowly rotting.  

Depending on the size of your household (and thus the amount of food waste you generate), using earthworms in a process known as "vermicomposting" can be very easy.  My parents did this with a bin in their garage, I've known college students that did it with a bin in their apartment or on a balcony, etc.  The worms compost the scraps much faster than just a simple compost bin.  And if you have a small garden or landscaping around your house, you then have great soil amendment that will actually help the soil hold more water - great for drought!  Or you could even sell the compost or give it away to friends & neighbors.  I've included a great website that provides useful info on vermicomposting.

Answer 2

Dig it in. It's all burying CO2 Gets the worms to come up and eat it. They live deep down and need stuff like that to bring them up to the growing plant's root area.They plants need the stuff broken down the worms will do it if you dig it in deeply enough.

Janet

Answer 3

Don't need water.  Get one of these.  If you have to choose, garbage is better than the disposal.  Disposals are about to be outlawed in some areas.

http://www.compostbins.com/compost-bins/...

http://compost-twin.com/home.asp

http://www.tumbleweedcompostbin.com/?gcl...

http://www.cleanairgardening.com/accesso...

http://www.thecompostbin.com/

Answer 4

get a bin fill it with dirt and warms and put all Ur food wast in there and let the warms eat it and decompose it in to soil

Answer 5

Eat it and dispose of it naturally.

Answer 6

conservation of food and water are the basic issues of the day. as you know the draught and we will have to conserve what we have for this, better cook only the quantity required for you and the family and for water also. conservation is the only choice for us. please try to co-operate the humanity.

Answer 7

Food is biodegradable, and there's still a lot of wildlife - squirrels, birds, and the like.

I don't like to waste money so I don't overbuy, but there are sometimes scraps - I put them in the garbage disposal or just toss them out in the garbage.    I guess I'm just not sure what damage you think the remaining few bites of a tuna sandwich will cause in a landfill, especially compared to the high-mercury-content lightbulbs that you green-types are going to force everyone to use in a few years.

Answer 8

Why do you need water to compost?

Answer 9

Here is a lsit of ways to compost...even the smallest spaces can compost with these options, check them out before you rule them out..

http://www.peaceful-organic-planet.com/c...