My current home has the kitchen adjoining to the garage. Most of the really smelly garbage is generated in the kitchen. The big garbage can and recycling bins live in the garage.
Is there an appropriate sealed, insulated chute or hatch that would let me just toss my waste directly into the big can in the garage instead of a small can in the kitchen? It seems like something McMaster-Carr would have.
Is this governed by any national (US) or regional codes? Any concerns or code issues with having a flap opening to a garage space instead of a living space (CO, car smells, etc.)?
This would free up some kitchen space by not having to have a separate garbage can in the kitchen. It would save time since that can would not have to be emptied. It could save time sorting garbage if multiple chutes are used for recycling. It should make the kitchen more pleasant as the really stinky garbage would be in the garage and not in the house.
Any general thoughts on this idea?
Any suggestions for alternatives, like maybe an insulated dog door if something like an insulated hatch doesn't exist?
Best Answer
I personally wouldn't do it. Even if you could find a suitable hatch, you'd need a good way to clean it out regularly. When I lived in an apartment complex with a hatch, it was foul; it was bad enough that they'd spray for bugs every 3-4 months, and in the process, drive the bugs into other apartments (and mine was right next to the chute ... so make sure, when renting an apartment, take that into consideration).
I'd be afraid that if the chute went straight outside, that bugs would eventually use the route to come up into your home, particularly of any food trimmings were to smear themelves on the chute or hatch.
If you were to connect it to a garage, I'd be concerned with fumes coming into the house. At a bare minimum, I'd make sure to have a CO monitor inside the kitchen, but I'd think that car exhaust would get in, too, and might make for a less than pleasant effect on your food.
I'd also look to fire codes in your area -- you're not allowed to have open holes between floors in many areas, because it'll allow fire to spread more quickly. (never mind that you have to vent toilets ... but you then have to fill gaps on the holes those vents run through).
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For non-meat or dairy food scraps, you can also get kitchen compost bins which have a charcoal filter on top ... so you can stash your trimmings under the sink, and then empty it less frequently. The only real problem are meat scraps; yes, you can put them down a garbage disposal, but it's not ideal as it puts a greater load on the sewage treatement plant; also, it won't work if you have a septic system, and still won't provide a good solution for bones.