Varied options exist for kitchen waste management; which option is best for you? Many factors should be included in your waste management specification: water cost, hauling cost, equipment maintenance cost, and durability. I have put these considerations and applied them to the most common kitchen waste systems.
Standard Disposer – Commercial disposers will get the job done quickly and leave little waste ; however they do require sending large amounts of water literally down the drain. When weighing this option count ease of maintenance and use, but use any water saving options offered to reduce your water bill. Disposers are usually durable and easy to use waste options.
Waste Pulper – Pulpers recycle water and remove the waste from scraps and dump the remaining pulp into a trash can. Your waste cost can drop because of the waste size reduction. Even card board boxes can be put through the pulper and be reduced to 10% of their size. Trash hauling and water cost savings will mean greater operational efficiency. In your ROI, you will need to factor in additional time to clean the pulper each day ; the slurry lines will need to be cleaned on a 90 day basis. The pulper will have a 5-7 year lifespan.
Hybrid Pulper/Disposers – These hybirds recycle water in the trough and catch waste in a large colander. The colander is hand dumped into a trash can. Many areas with water restrictions outlaw disposers and require these kinds of systems. Water use will drop dramatically but your waste hauling will increase. However, the system is basically a disposer with recycling water so you will have more longevity and ease of use.
Enzyme Reduction Systems – Many companies offer waste reduction through the use of safe enzymes. Generally, you put organic waste into a chest and add enzymes. The enzymes turn the solid waste into water which can be safely washed down the drain. In other systems, enzymes and heat are applied to reduce waste to safe dirt for the mulch heap. This takes water and hauling costs out of the equation. High population centers are good locations for these where hauling cost are high.
Dehydrator – The newest of the waste reduction entrant, you can reduce food waste by a 90% by having scraps manually put placed or conveyed by pipe into the dehydrator. The dehydrator then cooks the product for a 6 hour cycle and reduces it down. No chemicals required and you end up with a dry mulch. This system is also very easy to maintain
Call us at 1-800-755-4777 to consult on the best waste system for you or see www.dietaryequipment.net
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