Mankind is gradually coming to the conclusion about the inevitability of waste recycling. People collect and recycle glass, plastic, paper and metal. For those who are not going to stop at this and want to recycle the leftovers from their table, there are special composters that can be used at home and at the same time receive fertilizer useful for the garden and vegetable garden. Recycle has selected the most optimal and commercially available organic waste recycling machines.
Worm cafe
The Australian company Tumbleweed Worm Cafe vermicomposter is one of the most popular home composters available in Russia. The principle of its operation is based on the use of live worms. They, eating your organic waste, form the so-called vermicompost and vermicelli, which are used as fertilizer.
The recommended number of worms for settling in this composter is 5000, at least 1000. A set of 5000 individuals of a mixed population and 10 kg of substrate for feeding them will cost about 3300 rubles.
When assembled, the Worm Cafe vermicomposter will take less than half a meter in your kitchen. It is made of black recycled plastic that can be recycled. The device consists of three trays, a ventilation system, a coconut fiber briquette, a tray with a tap and a sludge trap and a fly-proof cover.
Before settling the worms into the composter, it is necessary to create the necessary conditions for them: wet the coconut bedding block and place it in the cardboard packaging of the working tray. Then put the worms there, cover them with a napkin and sprinkle with earth. Empty the composter as soon as it is full.
Can-o-worms
Another Tumbleweed model available in Russia. It is slightly smaller than the Worm Cafe. The two trays included in the basic composter set can be supplemented with other containers. The rest of the Can-O-Worms is designed in the same way as the Worm Cafe. You need to empty it as it fills, but not more often than once every two weeks.
Worm factory 360
Worm Factory 360 is another model of Tumbleweed's homemade vermicompost, but it is not sold in Russia. The device consists of four rectangular trays and, if desired, can be expanded with additional containers (up to 8 pieces). It will take about three months to completely recycle the waste in the first tray, and then the process goes faster - up to four weeks.
The Worm Factory 360 composter can be used both indoors and outdoors. On Ebay, it costs 4000 rubles, but delivery will have to be negotiated with the seller separately.
VermiHut
Another home composter that can be purchased on the Internet is made by the American company VermiHut. It consists of five trays and, according to the manufacturer, will be able to hold up to 5 kg of worms, which are capable of processing 2.5 kg of waste per day. The vermicompost also includes a pallet, a vermicum collection tray, an air vent cover, a coconut fiber briquette and a thermometer.
VermiHut machines work on the same principle as Tumbleweed vermicomposters. On Ebay, they are sold with detailed instructions for 2890 rubles, however, in this case, you will have to negotiate with the seller about delivery from the United States.
NatureMill PRO HC52CA
Automatic composters from NatureMill are significantly more expensive than their non-automated counterparts, but more convenient to use. They are powered by an electrical outlet and look great in the kitchen. Capacity - up to 8 kg of waste at a time, which, under the influence of high temperatures, 70% is disposed of into compost liquid. The rest of the coprolite can be used for soil fertilization.
NatureMill composts can process up to 55 kg of food waste per month. You need to empty the container no more than once every two weeks, no other intervention is required.
SCD Probiotics K100
For those looking for a simpler composter, SCD Probiotics' manual K100 is the right choice. It is an urn, similar to a trash can, but supplemented with a faucet to drain the liquid. The composter is designed for 19 kg of food waste. It does not require colonization of worms; utilization is carried out using fermented organic matter "bokashi" grown on wheat bran.
SCD Probiotics K100 is not sold in Russia, but it can be purchased online. Includes a bokashi microorganism bag.
Mr. Eco
Another inexpensive option is the Mr. Eco composter. But it is only suitable for plant waste. It looks like a trash can and attaches to the inner door of the kitchen cabinet. To dispose of waste, you must throw food leftovers into the basket, first wrapping them in a paper towel or newspaper. Then scroll the knob on the right side of the urn. Garbage from the upper compartment will fall into the lower one - at the bottom of the composter, thus making room for other waste.
The composter comes with biodegradable plastic bags to help eliminate unpleasant odors and make the basket easier to clean. They must be placed in the trash can before using it. It is necessary to extract the resulting fertilizer once a month and a half. You can buy the Mr. Eco device only via the Internet.
Urban composter
Urban composters have a round shape and, like Mr. Eco machines, resemble a wastebasket. They can hold up to 15 kg of waste at a time. Disposal of food residues is carried out through anaerobic decomposition processes, similar to those that occur when Bokashi is added by microorganisms.
However, in the case of the Urban composter, we are talking about microbes that come with a special compost spray. It is evenly distributed by means of a dispenser to the garbage thrown into the trash can. After filling the composter with waste, it is necessary to drain the liquid from it using a tap every four to five days. It will take four to eight weeks to completely convert food leftovers into fertilizer.
Help: How the vermicompost works
The vermicompost consists of several trays. The first of them is filled with food waste. It is believed that compost worms eat everything that was once alive: fruit and vegetable peels, tea bags and tea leaves, coffee grounds, dust from a vacuum cleaner, hair and animal hair, newspapers, packing cardboard from eggs, milk or pizza. crushed eggshells.
When the worms eat the waste in the first tray, a second tray is placed on top, which has a perforated bottom and into which food waste is also placed. The worms move from the lower tray to the upper one. When the food is eaten in the second tray, the third tray is placed on top and - the process is repeated. The result is 100% natural biohumus, which can be used for fertilizing a garden or vegetable garden. The more varied the waste you use, the better coprolite will be.
Eco-friendly homestead: The miniature device allows for excellent fertilization at home.
Anyone who would like to grow a good crop has probably thought of a garden composter - a device that allows you to dispose of organic waste and waste and at the same time get an excellent fertilizer. The household composter created by the Polish designer Alea Serajka is also interesting.
Every day a large amount of garbage is generated in any family. 30-50% is organic kitchen waste that comes from the cooking process. Thrown into the trash bin, they end up in landfills with household waste, where they begin to rot and pollute the environment. I set a goal for myself - to create a compact and efficient device, primarily intended for use in an ordinary city apartment.
The designer, taking as a basis the principle of operation of the "country" composter, managed to make a desktop version, intended for the production of small amounts of organic fertilizer. According to Ali, the composter will come in handy for those who are busy with growing indoor plants or have decided to set up a mini-garden on the balcony.
The device, which looks like an enamel pot, is made of aluminum and stands on a stand, turned on a lathe from a cork blank.
The top of the composter is closed with a lid, in which hundreds of small holes are drilled for air to enter.
The bottom of the composter also has holes for draining water into a special container.
To start the composter, the user needs to put newspaper sheets on the bottom, sprinkle earth, then pour some water, add shredded paper and worms, and close the lid.
Worms help to recycle organic matter and, thereby, significantly accelerate the decomposition process.
To feed the composter, we put in it the cleanings left after cutting vegetables or fruits, you can also add chopped eggshells. Then we cover everything with a layer of cut paper.
To avoid rotting and unpleasant odors, no meat, fish or dairy products should be added to the compost.
After the compost is ready, Alya takes it out and uses it as an additive for plants.
The water that is drained into the container is also used for watering the plants.
Composting is a fun process that doesn't require a lot of investment or complicated equipment. I think that such a composter looks more interesting than ordinary plastic boxes, and this will attract more people to home gardening, which is especially important in metropolitan areas. published
Disposer
Under-sink food waste disposer
The easiest way to recycle organic waste in your apartment is to install a disposer. The principle of operation is as follows: the device is installed under the sink, and every time a new portion of waste needs to be recycled, you need to throw it into the drain hole, turn on cold water and the disposer itself. After the processed food enters the sewer system without unpleasant odor and the risk of clogging the pipes.
The grinder is quite omnivorous: you can load all organic residues into it, even small bones, eggshells, tea bags (only the bag itself, no thread), but large bones and inorganic debris (films, plastic bags) should not be thrown into the device. The fact is that the chopper does not work by cutting food with blades, like, for example, a blender, but grinds it into a liquid mass. In addition, it is better not to use household chemicals containing alkali and chlorine, manufacturers say. The American company InSinkErator has been the market leader since its inception and is still today.
Composters
ZERA Food Recycler
Full processing cycle per day
The company has developed a new kitchen appliance that will not only reduce the amount of daily food waste, but also fertilize it. The container holds about eight kilograms of organic matter, which are first crushed, then mixed and processed into compost under the influence of oxygen, moisture, heat and a special composition of plant origin (coconut shell and soda) - the whole process takes 24 hours. If you let the finished mass steep for about two more weeks, you can get the perfect fertilizer for your plants and even the whole garden.
The composter is not available yet. Developers need funds to run ZERA on the Indiegogo platform (have already raised over $ 550,000). They also promise that the device can be controlled remotely using a mobile application.
FoodCycler FC-30
Miniature food processing helper
Food Cycle Science has released a composter that can hold a kilogram of garbage and is suitable for even the smallest kitchen. The principle of operation is the same as with other composters - it recycles organic waste, but it copes with it much faster than many similar devices. All you have to do is put leftover food in the FoodCycler, and voila, after three hours you have a great dry fertilizer. Even if the compost itself is not needed, the resulting mass does not have any unpleasant odors, therefore, throwing it into the trash bin, you will get rid of this unpleasant nuance. The gadget also has a removable bucket that can be loaded into the dishwasher. On the official website, shipping is available to the USA, Canada, UK and Germany.
NatureMill Pro
Dry and liquid fertilizer
In NatureMill Pro, food waste is loaded into the upper part of the device, and the resulting mass must be removed from the bottom. The device at the outlet gives two types of compost: liquid (it is convenient to water the plants) and compressed residue. When the indicator is on, you can add a new batch to the upper tray. The built-in carbon filter eliminates unpleasant odors (it turns out soft and organic), and the energy released during processing destroys pathogenic substances and prevents seeds from germinating. The complete recycling process takes 10 days. With the help of such a composter, up to 55 kg of food waste can be processed per month. It is convenient to store the device both in the apartment and outside the city - in the house or on the street, even in snow, rain or frost.
Vermicomposters
Worm cafe
The worm farm in your home
This method of waste recycling is more suitable for suburban areas, but there are also those who place vermicomposters in the apartment. The bottom line is that they do not work at the expense of electricity, but at the expense of special worms that recycle waste. Worms eat not only food waste, but also dust from a vacuum cleaner, hair, animal hair, newspapers, packaging cardboard, for example, from eggs or milk. Vermicomposters are a multi-level structure: garbage is placed in the first tray, and when the worms eat it, a second is placed on top - with a special bottom, into which a new portion of waste is placed, then a third tray must be installed and then the process is repeated. The output is 100% natural biohumus. The disadvantage of this method: often you need to grind food before sending it to the worms. They find it difficult to handle large or very solid foods. Also, if used incorrectly, small midges or mold can start. That is why it is better to put such a container in a summer cottage.
The Australian company also has several more models of vermicomposters, working in general on the same principle. Buying vermicomposters from this and other firms is quite simple: they are sold in almost all gardening stores. Worms (well, you never know what, suddenly ended) you can
Recently, organic farming has become very popular, when the land plot receives nutrients without mineral fertilizers and chemicals. To obtain organic fertilizers, a composter is usually used.
Description of home composters
A home composter is a device that allows you to recycle waste from the kitchen table, resulting in an organic fertilizer useful for the garden and vegetable garden - compost. The device will reduce the cost of garbage disposal and the purchase of fertilizers.
To process waste into fertilizer, the composter takes from a day to 2 weeks, while compost from an ordinary heap in the country will be ready for use on the site in a year. The composters create optimal conditions for microorganisms. The process can be accelerated by introducing a special starter culture.
Home composter
Application area
A composter for an apartment differs from a similar device for a summer residence in volume, design, degree of automation and principle of operation. In an apartment, the resulting product can be used to feed indoor plants or assembled before leaving for the country. At the summer cottage, a lot of compost is immediately prepared, because the size of such devices is much larger. In summer cottages, composting usually takes place in the summer. If you have a home composter for food waste, the process of converting organic waste into fertilizer can be continued in the winter.
The main product - compost - and the by-product - EM-liquid - is used mainly for fertilizing the beds, applying under fruit trees. But the liquid also has unexpected uses. If much more of this liquid is collected than the home greenhouse consumes, it can be poured into the toilet in order to make it cleaner. The wonderful liquid will cope with the cleaning of sewer pipes, remove the smell in the outdoor toilet.
On a note! EM liquid destroys pathogenic microorganisms, so it can be added to water when cleaning floors and tiles.
Types of home composters
Different types of home composters are distinguished according to different characteristics.
According to the principle of action, they are distinguished:
- Box.
- Thermocomposter - works on the principle of a thermos.
- Vermicomposter - compost is formed in it with the help of earthworms. Eating organic waste, they form vermicompost.
According to their design features, composters of the classic type and drum automatic devices are distinguished. The classic style composter looks like a crate, box, barrel or bucket. Vegetable debris is placed in this container in layers. Among the classic composters, open and closed designs are distinguished. In closed rooms, the process is faster.
Thermocomposter
In rotating structures, composting is faster than in stationary ones, due to the greater air flow provided by mixing the layers when the structure rotates.
Note! The material from which the composting device is made can also vary. Homemade composters are usually wooden, industrial ones - plastic or metal.
How home composters work
To create compost, four conditions are important:
- air access;
- high humidity;
- the presence of microorganisms;
- warmly.
By itself, food waste does not turn into fertilizer. They need help by placing microorganisms in the device. Where can I get them? There are special EM fluids already containing them. Among them are EM drugs called EM1, Baikal, Radiance and others. A liter volume of liquid is enough for a bucket of water. A liquid diluted in water is poured over each layer of waste when composting is first started. Next times it will not be needed, since the resulting compost will be used for this purpose.
Note! Thanks to microorganisms, fermentation decomposition of waste occurs in the composter, and not rotting, as in a conventional container. The resulting fertilizer contains not only EOs (effective microorganisms), but also organic and mineral components.
The second way to get compost is to use vermicomposters. In the composting process, earthworms participate in them. Their waste products are an excellent growth stimulant for plants and contain substances that repel insect pests. In this device, several containers are placed on top of each other, the waste and the population of worms are placed in the lower container, the contents of which are necessarily watered regularly. The worms gradually crawl from the lower compartments to the upper ones.
Advantages and disadvantages of home composters
The advantages of all composters are that they allow you to obtain high-quality fertilizer from the garbage that is usually thrown away.
But not every composter will live up to the owner's expectations. So, the use of a homemade EM bucket in an apartment is almost always accompanied by a not very pleasant smell (in devices manufactured in an industrial way, it is slightly less due to the tightness of the lid).
Composter bucket
In industrial thermocomposters, the temperature required for the formation of organic fertilizer is maintained at about 40 degrees.
Vermicomposters provide a higher quality product, however, it becomes necessary to maintain special conditions - temperature and humidity, oxygen access. The waste needs to be finely chopped.
In metal containers moisture is well retained, which makes the compost moist and denser. Plastic composters are resistant to low temperatures and UV rays.
Ready-made industrial composters have a more aesthetic appearance. Their disadvantage is that they have a fairly high price.
Factory made composter
DIY EM composter bucket
The composter bucket is usually installed in the apartment. With its help, a family of 3-4 people can receive about 500 kg of organic fertilizer per year. You can make such a bucket yourself.
Algorithm of actions:
- An ordinary plastic bucket is taken and a low lattice stand made of any material is placed on its bottom.
- A garbage bag, in which the bottom is previously pierced, is placed on top, put on the bucket in the usual way.
- Waste is stacked in layers, each layer is watered with EM liquid.
- The waste is pressed down with a load, cover the bucket with a lid and leave it closed for 5-7 days.
When the kitchen rubbish has turned into compost (after about a week), it is dried to a powdery state. Next time, instead of a purchased EM drug, the powder obtained the first time is used.
Important! People who have experience with the EM composter bucket note that liquid is formed during the processing of waste into fertilizer. It needs to be drained. If this is not done, an unpleasant odor will appear.
Which composter should you choose for your house and apartment?
It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of which composter is better, it all depends on the priorities of the person. The choice of a device for converting waste into fertilizer for the home usually goes between homemade models and their industrial versions. Those summer residents who follow the design of their site and are not very limited in funds prefer industrial models. Among them, you can find interesting forms in the form of a decorative stone or mound, which can even decorate a personal plot. If only the functionality of the composter is important, then it is quite possible to make it yourself. And if speed is a priority, then it is logical to choose a rotating EM composter, with its help the ready-made organic fertilizer will appear in 2 weeks.
Advice! When choosing a composter for a summer residence, take into account the size of the site and, in accordance with this, choose the volume of the structure.
They put a compact home-made kitchen composter or a factory-made eco-bucket in the apartment. The second is preferable, since it provides for the discharge of the resulting liquid, which is not in an ordinary bucket. The smell that accompanies the fermentation process is almost not felt in the factory composter, which cannot be said about a home-made device.
Home composters do not take up much space in the apartment, industrial models are practically odorless. They are ideal devices for those who do not want to throw table residues in the trash can, but want organic fertilizer for their home or garden plants.
Household food waste is often sent to the trash can and then to a public landfill. But they can be used much better and more correctly. WLabs, a spin-off from home appliance corporation Whirlpool Corp., has developed the Zera Food Recycler, a useful home appliance for composting food leftovers. The invented invention solves several problems at once - it reduces the cost of garbage disposal and reduces the cost of buying fertilizers for plants, if you have your own personal plot. Someone will object and say that the compost heap in the country is enough for him, but the time it takes for food waste to turn into useful humus can be on average one year, and in winter not everyone has direct access to the site and the cherished place. Zer is always at hand, and it takes only 24 hours to process food into nutritious fertilizer.
After the waste enters the apparatus, the primary crushing of the residues is switched on, then they fall into the next tank to form nutritious compost. It uses oxygen, moisture, heat, a stirrer to accelerate the decomposition of food waste, and a plant-based additive ($ 12 coconut shell pellets). The latter is provided by the manufacturer in order to saturate the fertilizer with useful elements and properties necessary for raw materials, which may not initially appear in a rotten product. But the user, at his discretion, does not have to buy the supplement. Zerа can hold up to 8 kilograms of waste, which is about the same as the average household throwing food into the trash can.
Zerа is designed to process more than 400 kilograms of waste per year. Externally, the device looks very stylish and will be able to fit into many kitchen interiors. Control is carried out using a touch panel or a proprietary application installed on the user's mobile device. WLabs' product can be a valuable find for those who practice organic farming and use only natural food for their plants. But the price will definitely disappoint. Zerа Food Recycler has a declared value of $ 1,199, but early next year, the manufacturer plans to launch a company to raise funds necessary to start production on Indiegogo. Those who wish can purchase the device for $ 699.
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