Monday, December 10, 2007

Indoor Composting Made Simple

Composting is generally thought of as something done outdoors, using lots of dirt and worms to turn organic garbage into rich mulch, but now it’s something you can do in the kitchen - without the worms. San Francisco-based NatureMill has developed an indoor composter that doesn’t use worms, and also doesn’t smell or attract flies.
NatureMill’s indoor composting units are built small enough to fit in standard-sized kitchen cabinets and can can process up to 120 pounds of organic waste per month, using just 10 watts of energy - about 50 cents a month.
How does it work? Well, you plug it in, turn it on and toss the compostable stuff in. The composting process takes place in a sealed inner chamber. Air is drawn into the chamber by a small fan, and a mixbar and heater keep the process moving along at the correct temperature. A red light indicates when the compost is ready and needs to be emptied - the company says that’s about once every two weeks.
Prices start at $299. NatureMill says the unit can handle up to 5 lbs of food and paper waste per day, and generates no odors. And, says NatureMill, unlike backyard compost piles, the NatureMill indoor composter can handle meat, fish, chicken, dairy, because of the unit’s guaranteed high compost temperatures thanks to its insulated chamber and internal

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