Thursday, May 8, 2008

EASY Composting

I love the idea of composting, but I have never officially "composted". I mean, my entire life I have thrown food scraps out the back door to a place behind the bushes, but I have never had a "compost bin". When I run across an article about composting in one of those homesteading magazines, it looks extremely intimidating.
I'm a big advocate of the "green movement" being achievable for city dwellers. After all, half the world's population will live in urban areas by the end of this year and about 70 percent will be city dwellers by 2050 (according to the UN).
Rural folks can't save the earth alone!

So, (back on track here...) I was excited to see this Automatic Indoor Composter by NatureMill. It takes up less space than those trash-compactors from decades past, and it serves a useful purpose. The NatureMill composting machine can compost up to 120 lbs of food per month. (According to a study by the University of Arizona Garbage Project, Americans throw away 1.3 pounds of food every day, or 474.5 pounds per year.)
The instructions, per the company website, sound very easy and apartment-friendly:

Deposit food waste items at any time, on any day. Add up to 120 lbs (55kg) per month. For best results, cut items into small pieces. Items remain in the upper chamber, with "hot composting" conditions: mixing, air flow, heat, and moisture. The energy released destroys odors, pathogens, and seed germination. The compost is later transferred through a trap door to the lower cure tray chamber, where it continues to compost while you add fresh waste items to the upper chamber.
No odors, worms, or bugs: Cultures consume waste quickly, without odors. The cultures produce a mild aroma similar to sourdough, mushrooms, or damp straw. Balance the chemistry by adding a small amount of sawdust to increase "brown" content, and baking soda to reduce acidity (both are included). A fan draws air into the machine continuously, providing oxygen to the cultures. A powerful carbon filter removes any lingering odors. Replace the filter every 4-5 years ($8 online, or about $1 if you buy the carbon yourself).

The initial investment is something to consider, but the ease of use will guarantee that you get your money's worth.

BONUS: NatureMill is offering FREE SHIPPING to MyGreening readers with the coupon code FREESHIPPING847.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This thing looks incredible. I'll have to check it out when we visit the US this year and see about getting one at some point. How long is the free shipping deal going to last?

Thanks for the information! :-)