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Earth Appetite: For a better future, we must fight against Food Waste
Imagine you stop by the grocery store in the wake of a prolonged day at work and purchase three major packs of basic needs for supper. At that point, in transit back to your auto or any other mode of transportation, you discover the closest junk can in the parking area and discard a large portion of a sack of basic needs. After arriving home, you right away hurl the other portion of the sack into the junk can in your kitchen.
While you are reading this, you are might be probably thinking to yourself: “I would never do that if that was me” However, that scenario accurately reflects how our current food system works. Nearly one-third of food produced in the world becomes wastage, a term that encompasses both food loss and waste. The difference between food loss and food waste is pretty basic and simple. For example, if harvested apples fall from a truck or rot during transportation, it’s considered food loss. However, if food intended for human consumption goes bad or unused, such as apples that spoil at the supermarket or are thrown out by a customer because they bought too many, it is called food waste. I find it both socially and ethically unacceptable that 30% of all food becomes wastage in a world where one in nine people are undernourished.
In our country, India – while it’s the world’s second-largest producer of food, it’s also home to a quarter of all undernourished people in the world. Inefficiencies and lack of refrigeration and storage issues in the food supply chain currently cause food loss of up to 40%, resulting in many hungry people. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recognizes and combats this paradox with World Food Day, an annual awareness initiative aimed at reducing food wastage, combating hunger and poverty, and protecting the climate.
It’s not simply just India: an extensive offer of the world’s sustenance misfortune comes from wasteful supply chains. An awesome extent of the nourishment devoured today is perishable, including natural products, meat, and dairy. The UK’s Birmingham Energy Institute estimates that as much as 90% of the food wastage in developing countries stems from food loss somewhere along the supply chain. Packing, putting away, and transporting perishables at the correct temperature expands their lifetime, decreases nourishment misfortune by, as per our own evaluations, up to 40% in creating nations and guarantees that more sustenance achieves the tables of the present developing populace.
Limiting food losses will have a huge impact on social benefits
Consistently, $940 billion is lost and 4.4 billion tons of ozone-harming substances are radiated in the creation of sustenance that will never be consumed. Consider a liter of the drain that perishes on the rack in the market. Not exclusively does this drain not get any cash for the grocery store proprietor, it even produces monetary misfortunes with respect to capacity and transportation costs. Additionally, up the store network, there was likewise the dairy animals required for creating the drain, the sustain required for the cow, and the land zone involved to deliver this encourage, and numerous different factors in its generation. On the off chance that we make more proficient utilization of the sustenance we as of now deliver, it will be conceivable to appropriate new create to a bigger number of individuals without setting an extra weight on the earth.
Keep all three bags of groceries
We encourage you to think about your own buying and consuming habits the next time you go to the supermarket and keep in mind how much food has already been lost on its way there. Working together, we can all contribute to reducing food wastage, enhancing food quality and safety, and making efficient use of our planet’s resources.
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Top 5 Methods to Keep Your Garbage Flowing Smoothly
Gargabe disposals are effective for disposing of undesirable scraps, lapsed nourishment, and disposed of peels. In any case, we regularly underestimate our transfer—until the point that it winds up obstructed or quit working inside and out.
We instruct to follow these five basic hints to expand the life of your rubbish transfer and forestall clogging and other issues.
METHOD 1: Run Disposal Regularly
Run your waste transfer all the time. Regardless of whether you don’t have anything to crush, turn on the water and run the transfer each couple of days to move the parts around. Something else, the transfer can solidify up, rust, or consume; and any extra nourishment inside can solidify, prompting scents and obstructs.
Consistently running your rubbish transfer is like practicing your body to keep it fit as a fiddle.
METHOD 2: Using Cold Water
Run cold water—not hot—when utilizing your trash transfer. Boiling water works incredibly for cleaning most things, yet not your garbage disposal.
Boiling water can liquefy the nourishment your transfer is endeavoring to crush, enabling the loss to stick to the sides.
Cool water, then again, solidifies nourishment, making it less demanding for the waste transfer to crush it and push it out the drain pipe.
METHOD 3: Run Disposal Longer
After your garbage disposal has got done with crushing the waste, keep it and the water running for a few moments. This guarantees all the food has been flushed out the deplete pipe to counteract stops up.
You can likewise run cool water and a little dish cleanser down the deplete after you’ve completed the process of crushing the waste. This will help wipe out the transfer and ensure nothing stays behind or is sticking to the sides.
METHOD 4: Cut Waste into Small Fragments
Your garbage disposal is only so big, and its blades and motor are powerful but don’t expect miracles if you feed it large chunks of meat or fruit and hope to see them sliced to bits.
Go easy, cut waste into smaller fragments, and only put in a few pieces at a time. Otherwise, you can overwork the disposal and clog or jam it—or worse, break it altogether causing it to malfunction.
METHOD 5: Feed Citrus Fruits
Foam and cold water will go a long way toward keeping your garbage disposal clean; but once in a while, toss the peel from an orange, lemon, or lime in your disposer.
The peel will help clear excess waste in the disposal and eliminate any unpleasant odors, germs and other factors which would hassle with your disposer.
What Not to Put in Your Garbage Disposal
- Grease or oil can stiffen inside a garbage disposal and cause clogs in the drain pipe.
- Potato peels contain starch which can clasp to the sides of the disposal, making it difficult to flush out.
- Glass, plastic, metal, or paper can trouble or dull the blades of a garbage disposer.
- Big bones, seeds, or pits can also dull the blades, jam the disposer, or become lodged in the drain pipe.
- Expandable foods, such as pasta and rice, also contain starch which can cling to the disposal. In addition, water can cause them to expand in the disposal and cause a clog.
Following these steps or measures can help you last your Garbage Disposer to last long and be more effective. If you have any further doubts or issues do let us in the comments below.
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How to Choose and Buy the Perfect sink for your Home
There are few checkboxes and criteria you need to follow when selecting your Kitchen sink…
- The size of the cabinet underneath your sink.
- The size of your countertop (whether it has a backsplash or not).
- The material of your countertop.
- The way how you will use your sink.
- Your preferences.
- How much you can afford.
Sinks are in all shapes and sizes with so many options in the market. Let’s take a look at the most crucial shapes.
- Round.
- Square.
- Oval.
- Rectangular.
- different shapes for a more brightening look; for instance, an L-shape for corner mounting, or ones that just somewhat farther than the bureau at the front.
1. Single-basIn: This is a little sink. On the off chance that you have a kitchen island, you may get a kick out of the chance to mount a solitary bowl soak in it, assistant to your principle sink. On the off chance that you have a dishwasher, you can flush the dishes in this sink before placing them in the apparatus. On the off chance that its bowl is genuinely substantial and profound (10 or 12 inches (25-30 cm) inside and out) this sink might be more agreeable for you to wash huge utensils in than a standard sink with two indistinguishable bowls.
2. Double-basIn: A sink of standard 33 inches (84 cm) length to 22 inches (56 cm) width that fits splendidly to the standard sink bureau – 36 inches (91 cm) length to 24 inches (61 cm) width. Its bowls are regularly indistinguishable.
It’s a decent choice for a sink in the event that you wash your dishes physically; you wash them in one of the bowls and flush them in the other one. In the event that one of the bowls is greater and more profound, it will be less demanding for you to wash vast utensils, for example, pots and container.
3. Triple-basIn: This kitchen sink is much bigger. You can utilize one of the bowls to wash the dishes and the other one to flush them. Utilize the third one (typically littler) to wash vegetables or introduce a trash transfer unit in it.
Kitchen Sink Installation
- As a self-rimming sink: here, your sink covers the ledge. It’s useful for your ledge to be produced using a smooth material (overlay, regular stone… ), in this manner enabling the sink to adjust itself superbly with the ledge.
The hindrance here is that you will think that its harder to clean around the sink. With time it might likewise assemble earth, where your sink joins the ledge.
With this sort of establishment, your fixture will more often than not be mounted on the sink itself.
- As an undermount sink: here, your ledge covers the sink. For this situation, no joints with the sink are seen on the ledge, giving an appearance of straightforwardness. It is anything but difficult to clean around such a sink; you can wipe squander straight from the ledge to the sink.
Remember that, for this situation, your ledge will be presented to water from the side too. On the off chance that it is produced using overlay it might ruin.
With this sort of establishment, your fixture will be mounted on the ledge.
- As a tile-in sink: here, your sink is on the level of the countertop. If your countertop is tiled, this type of sink installation is especially convenient. Sinks are flat at the ends, and their edges are at right angles. Thus they fit well to the tiles.
Again, it will be easy to clean the countertop, wiping in the direction of the sink. However, the grout between the tiles, and between the sink and the countertop, will gather dirt with time.
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How You Should Treat Garbage Disposer
So, you’re thinking about getting a garbage disposer, or you just moved into a home with a garbage disposer. Maybe you’ve had one in your house your whole life, or maybe this is a first-time experience. Either way, we have a few tips (or gentle reminders) about how to treat your garbage disposer and a handy do’s and don’ts list for what can go in your disposer.
Pros of a Garbage Disposer
Cons of a Garbage Disposal
How to Use a Garbage Disposer
- Very small food particles, like breadcrumbs.
- Small pieces of eggshell
- Small chicken and fish bones
- Small amounts of coffee grounds
- Select vegetable scraps
- The key here is to only put small items down the sink. A garbage disposer is NOT equipped to deal with huge pieces of anything, and even some smaller scraps are bad for a disposal.
- Anything whole
- Large bones
- Grease (I can’t stress this enough. It’s so bad for your pipes. Maybe even worse for your pipes than for your arteries.)
- Fruit and vegetable skins—they are usually too fibrous or starchy or get tangled in the blades.
- Pasta
- Rice
- Seafood (Why waste such good food anyway?)
- Coffee beans
- Metal (You’d be surprised how many bottle caps, and the occasional spoon, slip down when you aren’t looking.)
- Pieces of lemon/citrus peels (some people do it for a fresh scent, but too much is a bad thing)
- Too many coffee grounds are also bad, even if it improves the smell
Conclusion
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Will A Garbage Disposer Clog My Pipes?
NO. A garbage disposer which is used properly will not clog your pipes.
However, the key to making sure that your garbage disposal doesn’t clog your pipes requires proper installation and then use that is compliant with your particular model. Before you install any kind of garbage disposal, you have to make sure that the drainage pipes are clear in the first place.
This is why a garbage disposer should always be installed by a professional plumber. They can check for preexisting clogs and also clear them out. Remember, a garbage disposal is supposed to be a convenience, not a nuisance. There is nothing like installing a new garbage disposal and then have it clog your pipes simply because you did not check the pipes first.
The next part of using a garbage disposal and making sure that it won’t clog your pipes is that you need to only put food particles down the drain that you feel will wash away down a sewage system. Even the most powerful garbage disposer is only capable of so much. So if you have a household garbage disposer, you need to treat it with some respect.
You have to remember that anything you put down your garbage disposal will travel through your drainage pipes and ultimately need to clear them. This is why it is so important to only put food particles that can be liquefied into your garbage disposal so that any food waste that you have will reach its final destination.
Clogged pipes from a garbage disposer are totally avoidable if you follow a few simple rules. If you buy a home, make sure the pipes are unclogged from the previous owner. Make sure that you also buy a garbage disposal that is the right horsepower for your situation, and then use it properly.
Does a garbage disposer clog pipes in old apartment buildings?
Yes and No – in both old and new buildings, but obviously quicker in old buildings that are likely to have a buildup of corrosion and grease in them from decades of use. The more garbage that goes down the more slime buildup you can expect in the pipes, ESPECIALLY from meaty and fatty garbage.
The worst thing is liquid grease like fat poured down the drain followed by other fats and greases – it forms a very water and erosion resistant slime that can dramatically reduce the inside diameter of the pipes.
However, if you do NOT provide a garbage disposer, then when the dishes are cleaned most people will not scrape them off in the garbage first, which is best for the sewers – they just wash down anything that will fit through the drain holes even if it means jamming it through the holes, so you get much more frequent clogging in the traps.
Therefore, the garbage disposer reduces particle sizes and thereby reduces clog frequency, but having one promotes putting more garbage down the drain, so overall they do promote clogging.
Sort of a can’t win situation – I believe you should provide disposals to reduce the size of material going down the drain and avoid clogging that way, then use a flyer to educate the renters on the detrimental effects of quantities of garbage and pouring/dumping any grease down the drains, then plan on having the sewer pipes routed out (not snakes, but full-diameter routed) on a preventative schedule.
On houses about 15-20 years works pretty well in most cases (excluding cases where roots are causing pipe blockages), for apartment buildings I would recommend every 5-10 years though if jetting is much cheaper in your area, you could get every 4-6 years and then route every 10-15 to give a clean surface.
Liquid or foaming cleaners do little to help with the general slime buildup (as opposed to specific clogs) – their contact time is too short (especially in apartment buildings where someone is using water almost all the time), and most down-the-drain type cleaners only contact the very bottom of the pipe, not the full diameter, so the reduction in diameter from buildup is little affected because the invert (bottom) of the pipe is usually relatively clean anyway from constant flow over it.
Does a garbage disposer clog pipes in old apartment buildings?
Yes and no – in both old or new buildings, but obviously quicker in old buildings that are likely to have a buildup of corrosion and grease in them from decades of use. The more garbage that goes down the more slime buildup you can expect in the pipes, ESPECIALLY from meaty and fatty garbage.
The worst thing is liquid grease like fat poured down the drain followed by other fats and greases – it forms a very water and erosion resistant slime that can dramatically reduce the inside diameter of the pipes.
However, if you do NOT provide a garbage disposer, then when the dishes are cleaned most people will not scrape them off in the garbage first, which is best for the sewers – they just wash down anything that will fit through the drain holes even if it means jamming it through the holes, so you get much more frequent clogging in the traps. Therefore, the garbage disposal reduces particle sizes and thereby reduces clog frequency, but having one promotes putting more garbage down the drain, so overall they do promote clogging.
Sort of a can’t win situation – we believe you should provide disposals to reduce the size of material going down the drain and avoid clogging that way, then use a flyer to educate the renters on the detrimental effects of quantities of garbage and pouring/dumping any grease down the drains, then plan on having the sewer pipes routed out (not snakes, but full-diameter routed) on a preventative schedule.
Liquid or foaming cleaners do little to help with the general slime buildup (as opposed to specific clogs) – their contact time is too short (especially in apartment buildings where someone is using water almost all the time), and most down-the-drain type cleaners only contact the very bottom of the pipe, not the full diameter, so the reduction in diameter from buildup is little affected because the invert (bottom) of the pipe is usually relatively clean anyway from constant flow over it.
Stay clean and hygiene.
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Why you should use a Food Waste Disposer in Your Home
Humanity will always have a long-standing love affair with food, and not just because we need it to survive. There’s something about going to a restaurant and being surprised with a delicious meal, or cooking something for the first time. Often we spend loads of money and time on food at home, which has led some to call the kitchen the “heart of the house.” But what is the role of a food waste disposer in the environmental context?
Prodrain Plus food waste disposer (FWD) is a device adopted as a tool of convenience in many countries around the globe. Commonplace in India Prodrain Plus food waste disposers work by shredding household or commercial food waste into tiny pieces that wouldn’t clog on their way through a municipal sewer system.
Also known as an in-sink garbage disposal, a Prodrain Plus food waste disposer (FWD) is a convenient way to dispose of food scraps without having to throw them in the trash. Anyone who’s ever had a food waste disposer in their kitchen will also argue that it saves time on clean-up after meals. Today we discuss some of the pros and cons, so feel free to join in the conversation in the comment section below.
Food Waste Disposer
Many homeowners like having a food waste disposer it increases their convenience level while also allowing them to spend less time doing dishes or cleaning the kitchen. Dumping food scraps directly into the sink instead of the garbage can cut down the risk of rotting food and bad smells. Here are some other pros to consider before installing an FWD.
1. Minimum Electricity Requirement
Even though in-sink food waste disposer gives the impression of power-hungry devices, they do not use a lot of it in the context of an entire annual cycle. According to estimates, an additional power consumption of a food waste disposer amounts to 3-4 kWh a year. Studies have compared this figure to determine the difference in alternative methods of treatment of food waste. Results showed food waste disposers feature greater the net benefits than other options in terms of climate change.
2. Water Usage
Critics often cite increased water usage as a concern against the wider adoption of food waste disposers. However, recent estimates suggest the additional water requirement in the use of a disposer is no higher than 1 gallon/capita/day. Water scarce areas should consider this a cause for concern, thus rendering the use of FWDs unfeasible. However, in most places where water is available in sufficient quantities, the additional 1 gallon is a desirable tradeoff given the other benefits.
3. Wastewater Structure
Another argument is that wastewater pipelines may not be suited to carry the additional load from food waste disposer. In reality, FWDs shred waste into granules. As many as 95% of the resulting shreds are smaller than 3 mm, while 40% are smaller than 100 microns. Given that such waste is much smaller than fecal matter, traditional wastewater infrastructure can easily carry it.