Joe Dillon, president of Racine, Wisconsin-based InSinkErator, which invented the garbage disposal more than 80 years ago, says disposals are used in more than 50 percent of U.S. homes and in countless food-service operations. He argues that in addition to convenience, disposals are ecologically beneficial because they divert food waste from landfills. "Using an advanced garbage disposal like the InSinkErator can lessen the environmental impact of food waste by sending the processed food particles — from meat, bones, even banana peels — through a home's plumbing system to facilities equipped to handle them, rather than sitting in landfills and contributing to excess methane," he says. "A growing number of wastewater facilities are installing equipment that allows them to turn food waste into renewable energy. Cities that have introduced this technology include New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Milwaukee and Tacoma, Washington." But critics say disposals can be problematic near large bodies of water.