Principally found in grease traps located at commercial foodservice operations (restaurants, hotels, hospitals, schools and prisons), grease traps are also components of most domestic septic systems.

Brown grease is made up of all elements expended through the sanitary sewer system during the course of daily business. Those elements include fats, oils and grease (“FOG”), organic matter (food waste), inorganic matter (straws, napkins, scouring pads, etc.), disinfectants, detergents, etc. Good kitchen practices that seek to minimize the amount of organics and inorganics will lead to better grease trap performance and fewer overflows and stoppages.

Grit

Grit is typically found in grit traps (also referred to as “sand traps”) and storm and sanitary sewer collection systems.

As the name would indicate, the components of grit are typically, dirt, rock, sand and other particulate that accumulates in these types of collection systems. In the case of grit traps which are typically found at car washes, fleet facilities, dealerships and repair/paint & body shops, other elements such as trace hydrocarbons can be present. Consequently, grit requires special care in handling.

By its nature, grit settles to the bottom of a holding tank (trap). Therefore, it is often difficult if not impossible to judge the level of accumulated material in the trap without measurement and development of a regular cleaning regimen.

Lint

Lint is the residual material produced as a result of high-volume laundry services. Generally, lint traps are found at laundry/dry cleaning operations, hotels, hospitals and prisons.

Like grit, lint is a heavy, dense material (fiberous) that settles to the bottom of traps. Given the propensity of lint to cause sewer stoppages, generators are well-advised to maintain a timely cleaning regimen for lint traps.

Sludge or sewer sludge as is the name often referred to is a semi-solid waste component that is removed from private and public wastewater treatment facilities. Characteristically, the sand, soils, inorganics, and organics associated with the treatment of human wastes have to be removed as part of the treatment process. The sludge is removed in liquid form from the facility and is dewatered to a drier state to ultimately be disposed of at an acceptable authorized disposal site.

Domestic septage is the accumulated human waste, organic and inorganic material found in septic systems. Septic systems are utilized when connections are unavailable to a sanitary sewer collection system.

To ensure optimum performance, septic systems should receive routine inspection (now mandated in many states) and regular cleaning.

Food waste is simply the organic material that goes unused in a commercial foodservice operation. Organic material includes fats, meat scraps, vegetative waste, dairy waste, etc.

Foodservice operators often find food waste to be problematic as it is often sent through the sanitary sewer system, creating troublesome stoppages in the kitchen. Further, when discarded in a dumpster or other container, the material begins to decompose and cause odor, pest and rodent issues.

While discarding the waste is necessary, Southwaste, through its WholeEarth Organic Composting division, can now provide a sustainable diversion to landfill disposal.