Andrew Higgs, general manager of Parex, the New Zealand distributors of InSinkErator, says waste disposers are one of the best environmental options for waste reduction.

“Once the machine is paid for, disposal of food is free, it uses less water per day than a toilet does in one flush and its power usage is minimal.”

He says home composting is also recognised as an ideal method, but many people do not have the time nor available land to manage a compost heap.

Parex advocates a triple-bottom-line approach, taking into account environmental, economic and social reasons for responsible waste disposal.

“Some councils have now adopted a zero-waste-to-landfill policy, and InSinkErator complies with that policy one hundred percent.”

Higgs says that people often feel guilty about using waste disposers because “they think it can’t be that easy”. But it is.

“Food waste is 70 percent moisture, and  fibrous pulp naturally releases methane. This gas is captured by anaerobic digesters in modern treatment plants and used to generate power.”

Biosolids can also be be collected and used for land reclamation. One such project saw the quarry area of Puketutu Island rehabilitated with treated biosolids from the adjacent Mangere Wastewater Treatment Plant to create a new regional park.

The true cost of growing landfills is becoming more and more evident, with mounting costs being offloaded to ratepayers and the escalting public health risks of enormous rubbish piles.

“Yet waste disposers have no cost to the ratepayer, enable separation of food waste at the source and do not accumulate in the sewers. They don’t require fuel-burning vehicles to take to the road, there is no bin, no smell and they are very convenient,” Higgs says.

Authorities around the world are beginning to recognise the important role waste disposers play environmentally, with many specifying their installation in new homes or providing subsidies for their purchase.

“This is especially the case in apartment blocks, rest homes, and other multi-use properties where alternative waste disposal systems are not an option,” he says.

The latest models from InSinkErator are so advanced they emit very little sound, despite their powerful induction motors. They can be installed into new and existing kitchens, taking up very little space.