Waste disposers are legal

Don't be afraid to use a kitchen waste disposal unit.

Maybe after reading a few hastily written articles, you may have the feeling that using kitchen waste disposers in households is in conflict with Czech legislation. It is not the case! In the Czech Republic, there is no law, decree, or government regulation prohibiting the use of waste disposers.

The argumentation of opponents of shredders usually relies on several easily refutable points.

Water Act (254/2001 Coll.)

Another common argument is that when using waste disposers, there is a violation of the Water Act. The Water Act specifies the maximum amount of substances that can be part of wastewater. This mainly concerns the amount of sludge. The law states that one liter can contain a maximum of 500 mg of insoluble organic residues.

The fact is that when using a kitchen waste disposer in a regular household, it is by no means possible to exceed these limits. The amount of solid insoluble substances produced by a 4-member family is significantly less than 500 mg per liter.

Waste Act (Act No. 185/2001 Coll.)

In this law, we can find a waste catalog which specifies how a waste producer should handle the given waste. Water companies often point out that water enriched with shredded organic waste is no longer wastewater, but waste.

This law clearly states that waste producers are only companies and legal entities, not individuals. By using a waste disposer in a household, you do not become a waste producer. This law does not apply to ordinary citizens.

The shredded organic waste IS wastewater!

We have a decision of the Ministry of the Environment in our hands, which clearly states that kitchen waste, if crushed and flushed down the drain, becomes a part of wastewater.

Sewer Regulation

The sewerage regulations are the only document where you will read about the prohibition of using food waste disposers in households. More or less the same document has been adopted by all sewerage entities in the Czech Republic and present it as an argument according to which the use of food waste disposers in households is prohibited. You will find references to the two laws mentioned here, which, however, as we already know, have nothing to do with the topic of food waste disposers at all.

The sewerage code is similar to contractual transport conditions, only with an agreement concluded between two parties. As such, it cannot in any way override the laws. If you meet the limits set by the water law, you don't have to worry.

Concerns about the ban on waste crushers are unfounded!

Throughout the entire time we have been selling waste disposers (since 1996), we have not recorded any case where a citizen using a waste disposer at home has been in any way reproached by authorities or sewage system operators.

More arguments not related to legislation

From the campaign led against garbage disposals, one can easily get the feeling that garbage disposals are to blame for all the problems and malfunctions that occur in the sewage system. Which is humorous when we consider their prevalence in households (0.15%).

Proliferation of rodents

If organic waste from the kitchen passes through a grinder, it is crushed into such a fine fraction that rats cannot ingest it. However, if you flush it down the toilet, as unfortunately the majority of the population does, only then do rodents get fed in the sewer.

Crushing cans, PET bottles, bags...

The waste disposer cannot crush a tin can, it can only handle organic waste. If you were to put an object into the kitchen waste disposer that doesn't belong there, it will not be crushed. In the worst-case scenario, the disposer may jam, which can be easily resolved by pressing the reset button.

Do you have any uncertainties?

The situation regarding kitchen waste disposers may seem unclear at first glance. If you have any uncertainties, we are happy to advise you. Just give us a call.