Home Kitchen & Laundry Disposer Suppliers Offer Own ‘Spin’ on Food Waste Reduction

Disposer Suppliers Offer Own ‘Spin’ on Food Waste Reduction

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NATIONAL REPORT—According to Emerson Electric Co., owner of the InSinkErator brand of food waste disposers, each year in the United States, nearly 34 million tons of food waste is trucked to landfills. Once there, it quickly decomposes and produces methane, an environmentally harmful greenhouse gas at least 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide. While open air composting facilities and on-site waste decomposition machines are ways to manage food waste, kitchen food waste disposers and related systems remain a viable, convenient way to reduce the volume of waste sent to landfill. These systems also quickly reduce costs related to labor and waste hauling. Workplace injuries related to moving heavy food waste are also eliminated.

Walk around any major trade show in the hospitality industry where there is foodservice equipment and you are likely to find at least Salvajor and InSinkErator represented. “InSinkErator and Salvajor control 80 percent of the market,” says Chris Hohl, President and owner of Salvajor. Hobart, Franke Kitchen Systems and Joneca Corp. also manufacture food waste disposers. Each company offers its own “spin” on disposers but each has the same aim: provide a product that quickly and efficiently pulverizes food waste so that it quickly can be washed down the drain—or at least directed into a waste container in the dozen or so communities where there are restrictions on food waste disposers. “Restrictions are more common in more densely populated areas,” Hohl says. “Those restrictions can change. Massachusetts is encouraging disposers now.” (Commercial food waste disposal ban regulations took effect in that state in October 2014.)

According to Erica Vranak, Commercial Marketing Manager for InSinkErator, commercial food waste disposers can handle all sorts of food scraps, including fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, dairy products, breads and grains, bones, and seafood. “It is best to avoid stringy and fibrous materials, such as corn husks or pineapple tops, and hard seafood shells,” Vranak says.  

Salvajor offers a line of commercial disposers, disposer systems, and collector systems—each built with water and energy savings in mind. “Water conservation has been the foremost concern with operators,” Hohl says. “We also try to limit the amount of energy consumed.” Operators, for example, can set machines for automatic shutoff after a specified period of time.

Scrapping Speed More Than Doubled

According to Salvajor, food waste disposers are best suited for scenarios where there is a single door dish machine. Six different disposer horse powers are available. The company’s disposers feature water-cooled motors. Salvajor’s ScrapMaster disposer system can scrap and rinse dishes at about the same rate that a medium size dish machine can wash. It also accommodates cafeteria trays. Scrapping speed is more than doubled compared to a pre-rinse spray since both hands are free for work. Recirculated water savings average $2,000 per year compared to an uncontrolled fresh water trough. A self-cleaning separator comb allows water to return to the reservoir for recycling.

The Pot/Pan ScrapMaster from Salvajor is ideal for pot/pan scrapping areas handling cookware as large as 26″ sheet pans. It is often used with three-compartment sinks or powered soaking systems. It is best suited for use in pot/pan areas or with single or double tank conveyor dish machines. Like the ScrapMaster disposer system, a self-cleaning separator comb allows water to return to the reservoir for recycling.

The TroughVeyor from Salvajor is a solution for large foodservice establishments where typical scrapping systems cannot keep up. Multiple operators scrap into a trough of recirculating water to keep up with the largest of dish machines. Only using the water required by one disposer, the Troughveyor is an alternative to a fresh water trough or multiple disposers. It is best suited for use with double tank or flight rackless conveyor dish machines. Water velocity of 70 recirculated gallons per minute propels food waste down the trough and into the disposer with no extra manual effort while dropped silverware is trapped in the salvage basin for easy removal.

Salvajor’s Scrap Collector is a solution for small to medium size foodservice establishments that are unable to use a food waste disposer. Scrapping speed makes the Scrap Collector a superior alternative when the use of a pre-rinse sink or garbage can cannot keep up. Salvajor Collectors use only 2 gpm fresh water. They are widely accepted in communities that restrict the use of disposers and are safe to use with grease interceptors and septic systems. Collectors offer a cost effective alternative to pulpers and are best suited for use with single door and single or double tank conveyor dish machines. A scrap basket retains all fibrous waste.

AquaSaver Control System

InSinkErator offers seven different food waste disposer models—ranging from the LC-50 to the SS-1000 for large traffic in hotels. A chart on the InSinkErator website shows what size fits what circumstances. InSinkErator disposers come with an optional AquaSaver control system that can cut water usage by up to 70 percent. “Unlike timer-based water control systems, the industry-exclusive AquaSaver automatically senses the load of the disposer and uses two flow control valves (1 GPM and 7 GPM) to regulate the amount of water for grinding and non-grinding situations, delivering only the water necessary for efficient use,” InSinkErator’s Vranak says. An AquaSaver calculator on the InSinkErator site calculates the payback period for the AquaSaver system. A Waste Reduction Calculator calculates the estimated savings from using a disposer or disposer system.

Like Salvajor, InSinkErator offers a selection of collector systems—a standard PowerRinse Waste Collection System and Pot/Pan model. Both models operate on half as much fresh water as competitive models at 1 GPM per hour which equates to significant water savings. The PowerRinse Waste Collection System improves kitchen efficiency by increasing pre-rinse and scrapping speed, while reducing bulk waste without grinding. With PowerRinse, scrapping and pre-rinsing can be accomplished in one step. By using both hands to scrap dishes under the plume of recirculated water, operators can cut the time it takes to clear dishes in half. The PowerRinse Waste Collection System can be used in locations with compost programs or as an alternative to disposer and pulper systems. With a PowerRinse Waste Collection System, solid waste is collected in a scrap basket, while water-soluble waste is sent down the drain, reducing the amount of waste requiring haul-off from the operator. Collected solids can be emptied into a waste or compost receptacle.

When a municipality has outdated waste water handling and treatment plant facilities, bagged waste may be the only option. With the InSinkErator Waste Xpress system, one can process all food waste without the need to use cardboard or other special materials. Liquid and solid waste is placed into the food waste disposer, where it is first ground and then reduced by up to 85 percent of its original volume in the dewatering section. Ten bags of waste can be turned into less than two, so there is less to haul away. The Waste Xpress system can handle food scraps, placemats, napkins, jelly packets and straws.

At this past fall’s HX: The Hotel Experience trade show in New York, InSinkErator featured its new Grind2Energy system. Grind2Energy processes food waste into a premium, energy-rich material—a slurry—for anaerobic digestion. “We provide food waste slurry from our Grind2Energy system to several companies that operate anaerobic digesters, as well as municipal wastewater treatment plants,” Vranak says. At anaerobic digester facilities, gases emitted are captured and converted into electricity, fuel, or heat and the remaining biosolids are used as fertilizer. In addition to being an alternative to landfills, the Grind2Energy system reduces odors and pest concerns associated with food waste handling and storage. Installations include the Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Indians stadiums, The Blackwell Hotel in Columbus, Ohio, and Potawatomi Casino in Milwaukee, Wis.

Hobart offers compact, medium and large food waste disposers—from ½ HP to 5 HP. Franke Kitchen Systems offers disposers from ½ HP to 1 HP and Joneca Corp. has disposers from ½ HP to 10 HP.

Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

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