Let’s take a timeout from our normal topics to address a rather unusual, but completely valid, environmental concern — garbage disposals. I came across an article in Slate yesterday, where a troubled reader wrote in with this question:

I’m sorry to say I live in an apartment without a composter for organic waste. Given the circumstances, am I better off feeding my leftover mashed potatoes into the garbage disposal, so they don’t end up in a landfill? Or should I throw them in the trash can, so they don’t end up the water supply?

A very good question, and certainly one that warrants some time and discussion! Though it doesn’t seem to weigh heavily on many peoples’ minds here in the United States, apparently other countries are already starting to tackle it, on the basis that the benefits versus costs of garbage disposals are ambiguous, to say the least. On the one side, water treatment plants are made to handle what your dirty dishes dish out:

It is true that with the major exception of grease and fats—which can block pipes and cause overflows—water-treatment systems are designed pretty well to handle most of the scraps you might have left over from dinner. The leftovers you shovel into the sink will eventually make their way to a wastewater plant, where the sewage goes through “grit treatment,” which strains out the largest solid matter. (Sewage treatment is one of the few disciplines in which you can use words like grit, sludge, and scum as technical terms.) Whatever stuff gets separated from the water is either landfilled, condensed into fertilizer, or digested by microorganisms.

On the other hand, every instance of waste inevitably has consequences:

Still, dumping waste into the water system has environmental costs. There is evidence that the effluent that is pumped back into local water streams does affect their chemical composition and aquatic life. In extreme cases, the result can be something called eutrophication, which occurs when a higher concentration of nutrients results in algae blooms. According to one Australian study, the eutrophic impact of sending your food waste down the disposal is more than three times larger than sending it to the landfill. You’ll also be using a lot more water if you decide to go with the disposal—and you’ll be indirectly responsible for the extraction of the metal needed to make the appliance.

The article does note that studies on both sides of the debate tend to be rather biased toward whatever program or company funded the study. Then, there’s the question of landfill transport versus water consumption, and every other variable. Basically, it all comes down to your individual circumstances. How is the drought situation in your area? If water is running low, you may want to avoid, well, running it whenever possible (and trashing your food scraps rather than sending then down the drain). Check into your town’s water treatment program and effectiveness, and make sure you can be trusted not to accidentally stuff bacon grease and chicken bones down your kitchen pipes.

And remember: if you have the means to compost, it’s better than any of the above.

Photo via Flickr!

With a lack of any major news (which we have to admit is better than bad news), it seems like articles relating to recycling and conservation right now are getting more and more regionally specific. Last week we visited Olympia, WA, and Janesville, WI. Today, we continue on our Eastbound journey and end up in Ithaca, where the Ithaca Journal has some ideas of how to get environmentally conscious around the city.

At a coffee shop

Many of us stop at a coffee shop on the way into work to get a jumpstart to the day. But what happens to that Styrofoam or waxed paper cup that housed the coffee you just purchased? Bring an insulated cup or thermos with a lid next time, and ask your barista to fill it up instead of a disposable cup. Even if the cup is recyclable, it’s still a resource that has to be produced and then recycled. So bring your own cup and drink up!

All right, the coffee shop reusable cup is a no-brainer these days, but this one actually surprised me:

At a winery

Wineries are a big part of the culture in the Finger Lakes, and bring tourists and locals, alike. There are little things that you can do on your next trip to help limit the amount of waste being produced and still enjoy yourself. Some wineries provide samples of their wine in small plastic containers with labeled lids, and if you’re at one of them, ask if you can be served the wines in a wine glass instead.

Who thinks of conservation and thinks of wineries? Well, why not? Besides, drinking wine from a wine glass always feels a little more elegant than a plastic lidded container, doesn’t it? Tell the sommelier that you don’t want the plastic molecules to unfavorably add to the flavor of your drink. While the original article is geared toward Ithaca residents, this particular spot of forethought could no doubt be applied to any of our wineries here along the West Coast as well, no?

Photo via Flickr!