Brown bins

MadsL

...are smelly.

Why are food disposers/garbage disposers ubiquitous in the US but rare as hens teeth in Ireland?

Since rotting food in the landfill releases methane, a green house gas which contributes to global warming, why not simply grind up food waste and let the waste treatment plant or nature run its course.

Unless actually captured for compost (how many LA composting facilities are there?) doesn't this food waste get minced up and dumped into the WWT plant anyway?

What am I missing? Edumacate me AH.

Ihatecuddles-old

We have an insinkerator, or whatever you want to call it. Really handy!

MadsL

Ihatecuddles wrote: »

We have an insinkerator, or whatever you want to call it. Really handy!

They scare the sh.te out of me though...

SimonQuinlank

Just put the food in those little biodegradable bags,tie them up,put them in the brown bin and you won't smell a thing.

The Backwards Man

My brown bin is a black dog.

Ihatecuddles-old

MadsL wrote: »

They scare the sh.te out of me though...

Nah I always use my hand, everyone else shoves the food in with a wooden spoon. I still have 2 hands!!

wandatowell

Ihatecuddles wrote: »

We have an insinkerator, or whatever you want to call it. Really handy!

What happens with the waste from those things? Do they go down the drains or what?

Im clueless on them tbh

kneemos

What happens to it at the waste treatment plant?

MadsL

wandatowell wrote: »

What happens with the waste from those things? Do they go down the drains or what?

Im clueless on them tbh

They do an impression of me after a heavy night on craft beer and convert food into a sort of forcibly ejected brown fluid...





too much? I'll get me coat

kneemos

What happens to it at the waste treatment plant?

MadsL

kneemos wrote: »

What happens to it at the waste treatment plant?

*picks up box*

One sec, let me have a read - I just bought one...

MadsL

Apparently "capable wastewater treatment plants can even recycle food scraps into energy and fertilizer."

So nerrr...

Cedrus

MadsL wrote: »

...are smelly.

Unless actually captured for compost (how many LA composting facilities are there?) doesn't this food waste get minced up and dumped into the WWT plant anyway?

Why in the name of god would you do that? WWT plants are for taking the shyte out of waste water.

Brown bin waste is either composted for municipal use or is sold commercially. If there is a brown bin collection the collector will have either their own or a contracted composting facillity.

Sometimes of course the brown bin waste has to go to landfill because people have used rubbish bags to put their waste into and it's contaminated.

dxhound2005

MadsL wrote: »

...are smelly.

Why are food disposers/garbage disposers ubiquitous in the US but rare as hens teeth in Ireland?

Since rotting food in the landfill releases methane, a green house gas which contributes to global warming, why not simply grind up food waste and let the waste treatment plant or nature run its course.

Unless actually captured for compost (how many LA composting facilities are there?) doesn't this food waste get minced up and dumped into the WWT plant anyway?

What am I missing? Edumacate me AH.

The bins aren't always brown.

MadsL

Cedrus wrote: »

Why in the name of god would you do that? WWT plants are for taking the shyte out of waste water.

Brown bin waste is either composted for municipal use or is sold commercially. If there is a brown bin collection the collector will have either their own or a contracted composting facillity.

Sometimes of course the brown bin waste has to go to landfill because people have used rubbish bags to put their waste into and it's contaminated.

Composted? Do all collection areas have their own composting facility now?

Also - doesn't it make more sense to use existing water infrastructure for disposal rather than collecting it in big smelly diesel trucks?

kneemos

MadsL wrote: »

*picks up box*

One sec, let me have a read - I just bought one...

At least the kids can play with the box.

MadsL

dxhound2005 wrote: »

The bins aren't always brown.

F.ck. That's meta as f.ck, dude.

MadsL

kneemos wrote: »

At least the kids can play with the box.

*applies plaster to paper cut*

Sauve

MadsL wrote: »

Composted? Do all collection areas have their own composting facility now?

Nope.
In the country we just chuck it over the back hedge as always

Cienciano

If it's not brown, it's not a brown bin
Why the hell have I joined a discussion on brown bins at almost 1am on a thursday morning?

The Backwards Man

Hans Zimmer is my favourite composter.

He has a walking aid named after him too.

aaabbbb

We've a waste disposal unit , thing spends more time getting clogged up and breaking down than anything !

coolhull

MadsL wrote: »

Composted? Do all collection areas have their own composting facility now?

Also - doesn't it make more sense to use existing water infrastructure for disposal rather than collecting it in big smelly diesel trucks?

Like most posters here, I'm clueless.
But how would you use existing water infrastructure for waste food disposal? Surely the whole idea of brown bins is to not have to put your waste down the drainage system?

kneemos

Cienciano wrote: »

If it's not brown, it's not a brown bin
Why the hell have I joined a discussion on brown bins at almost 1am on a thursday morning?

Was there a spot in your diary?

aaabbbb

coolhull wrote: »

Like most posters here, I'm clueless.
But how would you use existing water infrastructure for waste food disposal? Surely the whole idea of brown bins is to not have to put your waste down the drainage system?

I thought it was more to not have it go to landfill ?

MadsL

coolhull wrote: »

Like most posters here, I'm clueless.
But how would you use existing water infrastructure for waste food disposal? Surely the whole idea of brown bins is to not have to put your waste down the drainage system?

The idea is not to put them in landfill.

Ours goes into the drains, which goes into a group scheme biodigester along with our toilet waste water and then we use it as irrigation water (full of nutrients) to avoid wasting clean water. We live in a desert, so water is a big deal.

kneemos

MadsL wrote: »

The idea is not to put them in landfill.

Ours goes into the drains, which goes into a group scheme biodigester along with our toilet waste water and then we use it as irrigation water (full of nutrients) to avoid wasting clean water. We live in a desert, so water is a big deal.

Don't think ours were constructed with food waste in mind.

darragh16

Its better to use a brown bin to dispose of food waste and other disposable products rather than having them shredded in a disposal unit and sent through the sewer systems for treatment. The treatment plants are operating at high capacity at the moment and waste from disposal units would increase that. An increase in biodegradable waste would increase BOD in waste outfalls. I'd also assume that they'd require more water use in the household as well

Cedrus

MadsL wrote: »

Composted? Do all collection areas have their own composting facility now?

Also - doesn't it make more sense to use existing water infrastructure for disposal rather than collecting it in big smelly diesel trucks?

You might need to do some research on "collection area", but Yes they do.

Does it make more sense to massively dilute your compostable waste with highly filtered chemically treated water, then flush it to a WWTP where it will take weeks in settlement tanks, flocculation tanks and clarifiers, using substantial amounts of electricity and more chemicals before the clean water can be released and the solid waste can be dried out and loaded onto a truck to take to the composting facility? Rather than load the brown bin waste onto a truck and take it directly to a composting facility?

No it doesn't.

wil

MadsL wrote: »

...are smelly.

Why are food disposers/garbage disposers ubiquitous in the US but rare as hens teeth in Ireland?

Since rotting food in the landfill releases methane, a green house gas which contributes to global warming, why not simply grind up food waste and let the waste treatment plant or nature run its course.

Unless actually captured for compost (how many LA composting facilities are there?) doesn't this food waste get minced up and dumped into the WWT plant anyway?

What am I missing? Edumacate me AH.

Eat it or dont buy it.
And start eating grass (the grazing kind)
Then hook yourself up to your own wind farm*

Well thats effectively what they suggest here.

Personally I think sink waste disposal units should only exist in US sitcoms.

*I added that bit, no need to waste good methane.

Think_then_talk

Think of how much water you would need to wash the food away.Years ago every house used a bath at least once a week this helped keep the drain system clear. Now it's a shower.
Ah the day's of the man with the pig swill cart doing his rounds in Dublin we have become such a wastefull lot.:(

wil

Cedrus wrote: »

You might need to do some research on "collection area", but Yes they do.

Does it make more sense to massively dilute your compostable waste with highly filtered chemically treated water, then flush it to a WWTP where it will take weeks in settlement tanks, flocculation tanks and clarifiers, using substantial amounts of electricity and more chemicals before the clean water can be released and the solid waste can be dried out and loaded onto a truck to take to the composting facility? Rather than load the brown bin waste onto a truck and take it directly to a composting facility?

No it doesn't.

You forgot to mention the smell, which vastly out stanks a few smelly brown bins

--Kaiser--

The Backwards Man wrote: »

My brown bin is a black dog.

Well, my brown dog is a black bin

kneemos

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

Well, my brown dog is a black bin

Truely a backwards man.