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Karl Burkart

Composting robot turns kitchen scraps into fertilizer

Nature Mill promises odorless supercharged composting in your kitchen.
Wed, Apr 15 2009 at 1:39 AM EST
Read more: COMPOSTING, GARDENING , GO GREEN, GREEN APPLIANCES, GREEN GADGETS

 
If Michelle Obama is any indicator, we are likely to see the "victory garden" become a nationwide trend this summer. But millions of victory gardens will require millions of pounds of fertilizer, and if you know much about the fertilizer industry it is nasty business. So what's a green, recession era gardener to do? 
 
Compost! Kitchen scraps make for the best fertilizer money can't buy and by diverting them into our gardens rather than our landfills, we are doing the environment a favor.
 
According to the EPA, about 1/4 of our household waste is compostable. Trucking that waste to landfills (and the methane released as the waste decomposes) significantly contributes to total greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. And though many landfills are now capturing that methane and using it to create energy, it would be ideal if there were a way to efficiently compost biodegradable wastes at home.
 
The big problem has always been the stench vs. convenience trade off. You could walk your kitchen scraps out to the compost pile every meal (big hassle) or you could get one of those counter top composting bins (big stench). I gave up on my composting bin after one too many science experiments exploded out onto the kitchen floor, and like many fellow greenies decide composting would be something I would get to one day, when I had more time.
 
But thankfully the Nature Mill offers convenient kitchen composting that is (allegedly) smell-free. Like a composting robot, the machine grinds up your kitchen scraps (it can handle about 5 lbs. per day) and regulates air flow and temperature to supercharge the production of the compost, which takes less than 2 weeks.
 
It also has a carbon-filter which takes out the smell, though it is hard to imagine a bunch of leftover Chinese smelling good after a few weeks of fermentation. Nevertheless, the Nature Mill seems to be a major advancement for those wanting to turn kitchen garbage into garden nutrients.
 
via: Wired
 

 

 

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Comments(5)

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Posted By Anonymous - Wed, May 06 2009 at 8:38 PM EST

o rly?

you know what else is bad for the enviroment? consuming gadgets and stuff nobody really needs. if you have a garden just build your own compost and save yourself $400.
and i cant really follow the logic that organic waste emits greenhouse gases on landfills, but not in this composting box - its the same process, no matter where it happens.

Posted By EvilGod - Wed, May 06 2009 at 7:20 AM EST

Stench? That is a sure sign you are doing it wrong..

"it is hard to imagine a bunch of leftover Chinese smelling good"

That's because you shouldn't be attempting to compost left over food unless it is green waste only. $400. You're kidding right? Wow! They are so popular that Amazon don't have any stock.

Posted By Anonymous - Fri, May 01 2009 at 1:10 AM EST

Electric Composter, Nature Mill

I just installed my Nature Mill composter in my kitchen. I had drawers taken out to make room for it right by my sink. I was so proud of myself for being such a smarty pants. Doing my best for our environment yet making it easy for myself. The PROBLEM for me, is that it constantly makes a humming sound, 24/7. It drives me crazy. I can't read or study when I'm anywhere near the kitchen. Had to have it ripped out, at additional cost, have a raccoon-proof box made for it and now I keep it outside,.... More

Posted By vka2b - Wed, Apr 29 2009 at 1:43 PM EST

NatureMill

Interesting blog post...thanks! I actually just wrote a post about composting last night on my blog, and wrote a small review of the NatureMill and other options. If you're interested, check it out here:

http://www.green-vine.com/?p=49

Posted By Daisy - Sun, Apr 26 2009 at 6:52 PM EST

Stench? Doesn't have to be that way.

If the balance of wet vs. dry is good, the compost will not smell bad. If it smells, add dry. If it's not decomposing, add wet.
And if you're interested in how one person's compost looked after sitting in the bin all winter, look here. http://compostermom.blogspot.com/2009/04/compost-3-2-1-goals-for-season........ More

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