One of the most frequently asked questions we get is this: what can I put in my garbage disposal. In many ways, the term “garbage disposal” makes people think that it is the same as a garbage can. However, your garbage can doesn’t have working parts, has a bag so that you can dispose of the trash, and doesn’t empty into a system of pipes in your home that could become damaged over time.
So, yes, there are some food scraps that you shouldn’t put in your garbage disposal. Let’s start with what you can put in your garbage disposal.
What Can I Put in My Garbage Disposal?
Normal food scraps, leftovers, cooked (not raw) meat and the like can go down your garbage disposal. Bigger scraps are best put in the trash so you get the idea. According to Consumer Reports, the items that you can put in your garbage disposal are as follows:
- Fruit Scraps.
- Fruit Pits.
- Vegetable Scraps.
- Corn Cobs.
- Cooked Meat.
- Small Bones.
- Leftovers.
- Ice.
As a caveat, we’re not too keen on you putting small bones, fruit pits, and corn cobs down the garbage disposal – especially if it is a standard garbage disposal. This chart from InSinkErator may help identify your model. That may overwork your disposal’s motor. If you want to help eliminate bulky food waste filling up landfills, then look to Emerson’s new product: InSinkErator Evolution Excel®.
“That’s where Emerson’s innovation and solutions come in. Our breakthrough InSinkErator Evolution Excel® disposals can grind nearly all food scraps—including orange and banana peels, celery, corn cobs, potato peels, and even rib bones—without clogs or jams.” Emerson
What Foods Cannot Go In a Garbage Disposal?
The garbage disposal is not a high-speed blender meant to evaporate any substance. Wouldn’t that be nice? Many foods should never go in a garbage disposal, unless, of course, you’d like us to come out to your home to repair it every time.
The foods that should not go into garbage disposal include fats and oils (yes, even your EVO), bones (fish, chicken, ribs), celery, corn husks, and coffee (French Press users, we’re looking at you).
The list goes on.
- Eggshells
- Fruit Pits
- Pasta, Rice, Oats
- Chicken skin
- Glass (duh, but it happens)
- Potato peels (remind your family members during Thanksgiving meal prep)
- Medication
“Instead, the FDA recommends removing the drugs from their packaging, putting them in a plastic bag with something unappealing like dirt or cat litter, then disposing of the bag in the trash.” Bob Villa
Can You Put Meat Down a Garbage Disposal?
Nope. Along with chicken skins, bones, and fish shells, you should not put meat down your garbage disposal; it’s fibrous and fatty — two things a garbage disposal just cannot handle. Think about it. If the meat isn’t going down the drain, out of your house, and into the sewer system, it means it’s just in the pipes. In your kitchen. Rotting. Eww.
“You should never put meat into a garbage disposal because it can stick to the interior of the machine, rot and cause a stench in your kitchen sink.” American Home Shield
What’s The Worst Thing to Put Down a Garbage Disposal?
Remember in grade school science when you learned that oil and water don’t mix? Yep. Pipes are for water and any kind of non-water-soluble substance should not go down your drain – let alone the garbage disposal. That’s true of any type of lipid (fat). Any animal products that contain fat should not go into the garbage disposal.
Many garbage disposal problems happen when families get together to cook for holidays. It’s maybe easier at the moment, to drain meat drippings in the sink. But this is a hard-pass from your garbage disposal. Fats will clog your pipes faster than they clog your arteries. This includes the gravy that Aunt Martha made on Thanksgiving no one ate. Just let it cool down then throw it in the trash can.
“Fats, oils, and grease. All our experts agreed that fats, oils, and grease (what the industry refers to as FOGs) should never go into your disposal—or any drain for that matter.” Consumer Reports
Get Your Free Estimate Today!
If your garbage disposal sounds weird or simply stopped working, give me a call. I’m happy to help you out and keep your kitchen 100% operational. When you’re ready, let’s schedule an appointment and talk about your Door County or Green Bay project.