Resident asks whether kitchen disposers help or hinder sustainability; committee to ask wastewater staff

A committee member raised a technical question about whether residential in-sink food disposers (insinkerators) are more sustainable than home composting, and the group agreed the correct answer depends on how the town’s wastewater treatment plant treats the collected solids.

The member explained that if a wastewater facility filters out solids and ships them to a landfill, using an in-sink disposer provides little environmental benefit compared with home composting. If, however, the wastewater facility captures organics for anaerobic digestion or beneficial reuse, in-sink disposers could be advantageous. "If our town facility simply takes that solids and ends up shipping it to the landfill, then I might as well throw out my own trash or... do home composting," the speaker said.

Committee staff and members identified Tony Piazza, Water Pollution Control superintendent, and Tom Roy, Public Works, as the appropriate contacts to answer where Simsbury sends solids removed at the treatment facility and whether the facility has anaerobic digestion, biosolids diversion or other reuse options. One member said they will ask Tony Piazza at an upcoming meeting and report back.

Members suggested this topic could be folded into the Sustainability Fair or a separate public session to educate residents about wastewater, septic systems, stormwater runoff and how household choices affect where waste ends up.

Follow-up: committee staff will contact the water pollution control superintendent and Public Works to get a formal description of solids-handling practices and report back to the committee.