Plumbing Fixture - Garbage Disposer

Garbage Disposer

The garbage disposer (UK: waste disposal unit, Canada: garbage grinder or garburator, portions of US: garbage disposal) was invented in 1927 by architect John Hammes of Racine, WI. He went on to found InSinkErator, which is still at work making millions of garbage disposers a year. The function of the garbage disposer is to grind food waste (e.g. chicken bones, fruit, coffee grinds, meat) so that it can be sent down standard household plumbing without clogging. The device works by attaching a small chamber underneath the drain of a sink. This chamber contains whirling blades and grinders which chop and grind the waste into much smaller particles. Once the food is small enough to pass out of this chamber, it is flushed down the rest of the plumbing.

In most of Europe, garbage disposers are not used at all; the high load of organic matter in the waste water requires a higher capacity sewage treatment plant, since the increased organic matter requires additional oxygen and water to process. Instead, garbage is separated at the source, into compostable and other types of garbage and collected. Similarly, in the United States there have been some political and environmental issues with garbage disposers. For many years, New York City had banned their use. The stated reason was the above-mentioned increased sewage treatment capacity, but many area residents also suspected that it was the garbage unions not wanting work taken away from them. The ban was rescinded on September 11, 1997.