What happens to the food you put down your garbage disposal?

Out of sight out of mind? Sure. But did you ever wonder what happens to your food scraps after you’ve stuffed them down the garbage disposal?
In this episode we bring you the answer - and it’s an epic journey from sink to sewer to sea.
00:30 anaerobic digesters
00:40 how garbage disposals work
1:25 how the sewer system works
2:04 Inside the Deer Island treatment plant (Boston, MA)
3:20 gravity thickeners (yes, that's what they're called!)
3:35 140-foot tall 'digesters' (yes, that's what they're called!)
4:00 sludge
4;20 how Deer Island turns waste into energy and fertilizer
4:55 "serious" bleach
Something you are curious about? Let Edgar know: wgbh.org/curio...
Subscribe to the GBH UA-cam channel: www.youtube.co...
Follow GBH News on Instagram: / gbhnews
Like GBH News on Facebook: / gbhnews
Follow GBH News on X: / gbhnews
Want the most important local news of the day delivered right to your inbox?
Sign up for The Wake Up, our Morning Edition newsletter: www.wgbh.org/n....
Help us keep bringing you the local news that matters to YOU, right here on UA-cam.
Donate today: bit.ly/3MJ09Fm

[@GBHNews]

There's a fair amount of debate about what items should or shouldn't go down the garbage disposal. Egg shells and coffee grinds are commonly pointed to as "no-no's," but Rob Driscoll, instructor for Boston Plumbers Local 12, told us that if your disposal can handle them, both are OK in his book. Keep in mind that disposals aren't all built the same in terms of both size and power.
What everyone we spoke with agrees should NOT go down the drain is what's known as "FOG." That's Fat, Oil, and Grease. They can solidify in the drain, stick to pipes and cause blockages all along the system.
We asked Jean-Luc Teixeira, superintendent of asset management at Boston Water & Sewer Commission how much easier his job would be if every household and business stopped pouring fat, oil and grease down the drain. His answer? 70 percent.

[@GBHNews]

Do you have a garbage disposal? Do you also compost? How do you decide what goes where?

[@salt_spicy]

If everyone composted their food waste instead of sending it down the drain, it'd make their job 100% easier...

[@mauricegerald6605]

Allen Brian Hernandez Christopher Young Edward

[@AmyBurnett-w8n]

Lewis Mark Davis Frank Williams Michael

[@ocsrc]

CSOs ? I don't know what you are talking about 🤔

[@GBHNews]

CSO stands for Combined Sewer Overflow. A combined sewer is where drainage (like rain water) and sewage (from houses and businesses) end up in the same pipe. In Boston's system, there are sections where this is the case. When there are heavy rains, for example, those pipes need a place where the overflow can discharge. In Boston's system there are several CSOs that discharge into the Charles River. There used to be many more. You can learn more about that here: ua-cam.com/video/uTLA-CbnZko/v-deo.html

[@danielrandolph9170]

So sounds like human waste is being turned into fertilizer witch is spread on row crop fields that grow humans food !!! Something just don't feel right here about this process I guess that why we have more & more recalls on foods being contaminated !!! Who owns that fertilizer company KOIL ??

[@averylisejameses7688]

Taylor Daniel White Sharon Davis Kenneth

[@metagoat]

Thanks WGBH. Boston's wastewater management system is a crown jewel of our national infrastructure.

[@GBHNews]

Thank YOU for checking the episode out! Viewers and listeners are the crown jewel of our public media system.

[@FCCMelrose]

Our men's group is about to take a tour of Deer Island. Thanks for this background!

[@GBHNews]

Terrific! Happy to be of service.

[@sonnylatchstring]

Waste disposal via the sewer is inefficient, cost-increasing and a lack of common sense.

[@bobtail1200]

Im pretty sure it comes back from the store as meat in chff boy oh boy ardes raviolious , yumm

[@JemicoTX]

It goes into the same place your poop goes, making the same fertilizer your poop does. The end.

[@V3racious3]

He asked wardrobe for "Rockabilly Homeless"

[@jrmills2468]

It's kinda disappointing that you didn't follow up about garbage disposal waste during your tour. Not a single question about it.

[@valevisa8429]

Very little food goes in my garbage disposal,90 % of it goes into my garden.I'm fortunate to have one.

[@blaydCA]

I remember when Deer Island was just huge holding pits that emptied raw sewerage when it was high tide.

[@L-S-001]

It clogs up the sewage pipes in your yard leading to a $25,000 repair

[@2Hearts3]

Uh-oh... "if that happens, the water will back up into your homes and businesses and flood them." Uh, makes off-grid living even more appealing.😳

[@edgarbherwickiii5509]

Do you live mainly off the grid or is it a future dream/goal? Fascinated to know - on a practical level - what aspects are better and what parts are a bit of a struggle.

[@abc33155]

4:25 That’s how forever chemicals end up in our food and all the land gets contaminated.

[@woohunter1]

Nice catch, rather interesting.

[@CT-vm4gf]

Interesting.

[@fisherman5845]

The bay state now the grew water state cape cod grey water pond Ipswich gray water pond buzzards grew water pond

[@joshuauriarte452]

And if we wanted to, we could reuse all of the water that was cleaned saving billions of gallons a year in water.