Waste disposal units have long been a part of the British consciousness, if only because they have featured in almost every US drama and sitcom over the last couple of decades. The UK, in general, has been slow to embrace this most beneficial of kitchen aids, but with large parts of the country now on bi-weekly bin collections, that could be about to change. Waste disposal units bring with them benefits to both the home and the environment. They work by grinding waste food into particles small enough to pass through household plumbing and on into the sewers outside. They can grind both soft food and bones, in fact, any bone up to the size of a chicken thigh can usually be passed through the system without issue. With between 10 and 20% of all household waste being organic, the waste disposal unit has a significant amount of work to do in your home. Organic waste decomposes quickly, bread, for example, can show signs of mould in less than a week, as will many other food items. Once food has begun to break down, the odour it emits becomes stronger and more pungent by the day, until it creates that familiar, distasteful, waste bin aroma. By using a waste disposal unit, and flushing the organic waste down the plughole, you reduce odour, which means you are less likely to attract flies and other insects. Waste disposers work by grinding unwanted food into minute particles, which combine with running water to form a liquid pulp. This pulp is approximately 70% water, which is not dissimilar to ordinary human waste, meaning it can easily be processed at standard sewage installations where it is turned into valuable fertilisers, and at certain advanced processing plants, methane gas. Compare that with sending organic waste to landfill, where the waste is either burnt (consuming more energy than it gives out), or buried, creating uncollected methane gas which has been shown to be detrimental to the environment. Waste disposers are also economical to run, it costs the average household less than 1p a day to run an ordinary waste disposal unit, and the daily amount of water used is the equivalent of one flush of the toilet. Simple to use, economical, and good for the environment, it seems likely that this beneficial kitchen appliance is set to become a firm favourite in UK homes in the very near future.