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42 QI 2015 THE QUARTERLY Pulpers can save both money and labor when utilized in the proper environment. Here, John Marenic, principal at Charlotte, N.C.-based Marenic Food Service Consultants, provides his insight on this type of foodservice equipment. • Pulpers are basically oversized garbage disposals that can accommodate higher volumes of waste. Opera- tors use these units in conjunction with a big trough. • The trough is just as important as the pulper, because this is what takes garbage from point A and brings it to the pulping area. • This equipment is really designed for high-volume use in institutional operations such as hospitals and universities. • Some big cities and many beach side communities don't allow pulpers due to sewage system issues. Before considering this equipment, operators should confrm that codes don't prohibit use. • Operators can choose from different sized pulpers and, like garbage disposals, various horse powers. Prior to purchasing, determine how long and wide the unit's trough should be. This is generally based upon the number of employees working the unit and the number of plates that will be cleared at one time. For example, for a hospital cafeteria operation that includes 3 people at the trough area clearing 33 trays at a time, there needs to be enough clearance for everyone. I generally allow between 24 and 30 inches of space for each person working the pulper. This allows room for moving hands, pivoting and accessing the unit. • The trough requires cleaning. Many models include an automatic sensor that turns on when the unit is full and off when it's emptied. Floor switches also are available that can turn on different sprayers at various times as necessary. For example, with an individual switch, I can turn sprayers on only in the clogged sec- tion, which saves water. • Pulpers will need water, electrical and the correct drainage hookups. Operators need to check with their city about drain requirements for these units. Each city is different, even those within the same state. • Operators should look for a pulper model with an auto stop feature for added safety, which most units have. • I recommend adding a magnetic catchall, one in each zone. This is an added expense up front, but saves money in the long run, since it prevents silverware from getting chewed up in the pulper as well as the use of extra water needed to push metal down the drain. PULPER SPECIFYING CONSIDERATIONS additional grinding tanks if they have more than one dish room. When utilizing remote pulpers, use sweeping 90s piping, as opposed to hard 90s, to help reduce the inci- dence of clogs around tight corners. The piping should feature hard copper construction, with rigid soldering to withstand pipe vibrations during use. With remote units, operators should ensure that enough cleanout access points are available throughout the piping to facilitate easier unclogging of waste. Some pulping units can accommodate between 300 and 1,000 pounds of waste per hour. This includes pro- cessing materials like Styrofoam and plastics, although stretchy plastic wrap is not recommended for disposing in these systems, since it can stick to the components. While the pulper housing typically features heavy- gauge stainless steel construction, most manufacturers tend to use a durable tungsten steel that can hold an edge when making their cutter blades. Systems are avail- able in three-phase, 208, 230 or 460 volts. One environmentally friendly aspect of pulpers is that they extract gray water and recirculate it to help grind and dispose of organic waste. While a standard cold wa- ter garbage disposer utilizes 14 gallons of water a minute and a recirculating system uses 7 gallons of water per minute, a pulper uses only 2 gallons of water a minute. Also, water usage is further reduced, since these units remove most of the solids out of the water strain. There also is a new vacuum technology for these systems that utilizes no water. Despite the fact that these systems reduce landfll garbage, a number of municipalities prohibit the use of these units. This is because some believe pulpers put undue stress on sewage systems, while others don't want to contend with gray water. For this reason, operators should check with local municipalities and conduct a cost beneft analysis to confrm that this waste management option is feasible for their operation. For operations that cannot utilize traditional pulpers, organic waste disposal systems represent a new, self- contained alternative. These waste processors decom- pose food waste into liquid by applying heat, water and motion to organic waste that is held in a central drum. The liquid can either be disposed through existing sew- age treatment facilities or used as a supplement to irriga- tion and plant-watering systems. When choosing a pulper, assess the type of food and how the operation will serve it. SANITATION AND SAFTEY