Food waste shredder with recycling for compost. "Smart" EM-bucket composter helps to save. Ways to make homemade compost

12.03.2020

For a long time we did not discuss what technology has reached.

Usually, food waste in the city either goes into ordinary garbage or into a food waste grinder, that is, into the sewer.

Loughborough University graduate Benjamin Cullis Watson has developed a dumpster that quickly converts food waste into garden compost and liquid fertilizer for houseplants.

His work is based on bokashi, a Japanese method that uses fermentation to decompose debris without leaving a smell. The Taihi container automatically sprays the accelerator mixture to decompose the waste. As a result, a liquid is formed, which is stored in an airtight watering can and compost, which is fed into a separate container.

The double lid system and set of rubber seals prevent odor and the container itself has an easy to clean finish. Unlike other composting systems, waste does not need to be turned and maintained in the right storage conditions.

To start fermentation, you need to add the bokashi mixture.

Containers for processing food waste using live worms (for example, the Worm Cafe by the Australian company Tumbleweed and the American VermiHut), as well as the automatic NatureMill, have already found their connoisseurs on the market.

Based on the bokashi technology, SCD Probiotics K100 containers (the composter is designed for 19 kg of food waste) and Urban composter are based.

Today I will talk about a wonderful invention that helps to prepare the most luxurious fertilizer for our beds from food waste.

More than 10 years ago, I got acquainted with the first of the EM preparations with Baikal EM. And since then my passion for organic farming began. I bought a thin brochure on EM technology and, of course, began to try everything that was written there.

I really liked the idea of making EM-Urgasu fertilizer from food waste. It was a pity to just throw so much organic matter in the trash.

I did this: I put a grate down into an ordinary plastic bucket. There was nowhere to take the finished grate and I asked the men to make a circle of plastic with holes and legs (so that the grate would not fall to the bottom).

Then I took an ordinary garbage bag, made holes in it at the bottom with scissors and put it in a bucket. In this bag, already in small layers, I put food waste and sprinkled them with an EM preparation (then I had Baikal EM). Then the top of the bag was twisted, releasing air.

I put a load on top (an inverted plate and a jar filled with water and closed with a lid).

Everything would be fine, but during the fermentation of waste, it flows down through the holes EM liquid and it needs to be drained every 2-3 days. And each time, in order to get to the liquid, I had to pull out the waste bag, remove the grate and drain the liquid.

If this liquid is not drained in time, an unpleasant odor will appear, because. liquid also contains effective microorganisms but deteriorates very quickly. I will write more about this liquid later.

Fertilizer, of course, worked out for me, but there were inconveniences.

And last year I saw in the Fertility store EM composter for food waste .

Even without hesitation, I immediately purchased it, because the advantages of using it are obvious compared to the improvised means that I used.

Bucket of large volume, 15 l.
Closes tightly with lid
Has a drain valve
There is an EM cover inside. Thanks to EM plastic, it stabilizes fermentation processes
Also inside there is a convenient grille, it is well washed and made of better plastic than mine.
The bucket looks aesthetically pleasing even in the kitchen

To this bucket, I also purchased a small EM bucket 4l with lid. What for? I'll tell you a little later.

Now I will describe the whole process in detail.

All organic waste goes into my business: peeling vegetables, some pieces of bread (for example, which fell on the floor), plant residues from pruning flowers, seed husks, the remains of porridge boiled in water, maybe the paper is not glossy, welding from tea, etc.

By the way, the value of fertilizer will increase from the variety of waste.

I do not put leftovers from meat, fish, something fatty in the bucket.

And so the waste is collected from me during the day and at first I put it (and taught all the household ones) into a small 4-liter EM bucket with a lid. Even if they are collected more than in a day, in such a bucket they do not deteriorate even in the heat.

When such a bucket has accumulated, I place this waste already in EM composter.

I do it like this:

I take a garbage bag, make several holes in the bottom with scissors to drain EM liquids. I put this bag in a bucket with the bottom on the grate.

Now they need to be processed. EM drug. And here you can choose what you have at hand or what is more convenient.

If the waste is wet enough, I just sprinkle, as if salting with a preparation. "Shine 3" if the waste is dry, it is better to use a wet preparation Vostok EM-1 or diluted drug "Shine 1". The concentration can be done 1:100, this is at the rate of 10 ml (1 tablespoon per 1 liter).

You can do more concentration. Often I'm just not divorced EM drug I spray straight from the bottle. Consumption is minimal. If only the waste was moist and the bacteria had enough moisture.

When I already have EM liquid, which we will merge, I use sometimes and it is also not diluted. But I combine it with "Shine 3" in other layers.

As you can see, there are no strict rules here, use what you have and what is convenient. It's impossible to overdose here. But if the concentration is not enough, you will feel the smell.

The correct smell when you open the bucket should not be nasty, leavened or acetic. By the way, do not be alarmed if you see a white coating of mold on the surface, this is normal. The main landmark of the correct process is the smell.

If you smell an unpleasant odor, increase the concentration EM drug.

Thus, we lay all the waste from the bucket in layers, pouring or spraying them EM drug in layers.

Then we twist the bag and put the inner EM-lid on top. She's made from EM plastics and additionally by its action stabilizes the processes of waste fermentation.

Now close the top lid of the bucket. It closes very tightly and blocks the access of air to the bucket.

We leave the bucket in the kitchen or in the bathroom, where it is more convenient for you.

Now we collect the new waste again in a small EM bucket until the next load. In the meantime, we are watching EM liquids. It must be drained every 2-3 days, and more often if the waste is very wet.

In the EM composter, it is very convenient to drain the liquid, just substitute a small container and press the tap at the bottom of the bucket.

This liquid spoils very quickly. And if you have a smell, then perhaps from not drained in time EM liquids.

This liquid is also an EM preparation, but it quickly deteriorates and therefore, if you do not use it quickly, you can store it in a closed jar in the refrigerator for several days.

Where do I use EM liquid:

I water the flowers by dissolving 1 tsp of EM liquid in 1 liter. water
If summer time, I water the plants 1 tbsp per 10l. water
At night, I pour undiluted EM liquid into the sink or bathtub drain. It removes fatty plugs, eliminates unpleasant odors.
I add undiluted to the EM container for fermentation waste.
In summer, you can pour it into a compost heap to speed up the decomposition of organic matter. Here you can also dilute 0.5-1 glass in a bucket of water, because. still needs to be hydrated.
You can pour undiluted EM liquid directly into the country street toilet as much as you have, but not less than a glass. This liquid helps to remove unpleasant odors.

But of course, this liquid should not itself have an unpleasant odor. If the smell is bad, it is not suitable and will not work, it is better to pour it out. And it deteriorates really fast.

And so I gradually fill the bucket. As it fills up, you need to let it stand warm for another week (or more). You can leave it to stand in this bucket, or you can transfer the waste bag to another suitable container to stand there, and use the bucket again for its intended purpose.

But be aware that while the waste is standing, the liquid will still come out, albeit a little. If it is not drained, it may deteriorate.

Now already fermented waste can be introduced into the aisles in the beds or around bushes, perennial flowers, in tree trunks. But not very close to the plants, at a distance, so as not to burn the roots. I like to bring them into the aisles of strawberries. Just flat cutter I draw a groove, put on rubber gloves and lay out the fermented waste, then sprinkle it with soil for sure.

WARNING: fermented waste does not look like compost! They look, let's say, like softened vegetable mince, the smell, I repeat, is sour, leavened.

If we make fertilizer in the winter, then the fermented waste after keeping the house warm for a week can be frozen, you can take it to the garage. I recommend placing this waste in several strong bags, because. From experience, liquid can still leak out. If it is possible to keep warm, then it is even better, the fermentation process will continue.

And in the spring, this super-fertilizer will come in handy in our warm beds, and indeed for any crops. It is possible to combine fertilization in the garden with spring treatment with an EM preparation.

In this case, we draw on the garden flat cutter groove, lay out the fertilizer, cover it with soil, spill it with any EM drug(0.5 cups per bucket of water) and cover the bed with dark covering material or cardboard or any dark mulching material with a thin layer to warm the soil.

Such a fertilizer, which is absolutely not difficult to prepare, contains not only EM (effective microorganisms), but also contains organic and mineral components.

On such beds, a huge number of earthworms and other useful inhabitants of the soil are bred, and they, in turn, will continue to improve fertility.

After 2 weeks, plants can be sown on such a bed or seedlings can be planted.

It's as simple as that, using EM compost p and you can prepare two types of excellent fertilizer: EM fermented waste s and EM liquid.

By doing this, you decently save on the purchase of fertilizers and use what you would have thrown away anyway. By the way, less often you have to take out the trash can))

And your plants will give you a great harvest!

Zoya Andreevna Sapronova, Fertility Center, Yaroslavl

The EM container (bioutilizer of organic waste) is a mini factory for the production of an excellent fertilizer obtained by fermentation.

Thanks to the work of effective microorganisms in the container, not the process of decay occurs, but the enzymatic decomposition of kitchen (organic) waste. Already after 7-10 days, organic waste, on which EM settled, can be introduced into the aisles.

This container will help a family of 3-4 people get about 500 kg of wonderful fertilizer per year, which is many times more effective than rotted manure.

In many countries of the world, similar containers are used for the processing of various organic waste. For example, in the USA they are used not only at home, but also in schools and catering establishments.

The EM container has been awarded:

diploma and silver medal of the international exhibition-congress “High technologies. Innovation. Investments, St. Petersburg, 2007,
diploma and gold medal of the 8th Moscow International Salon of Innovations and Investments, Moscow 2008,

The EM container is designed for the fermentation of food waste.

EM container consists from a cylindrical 15-liter container, the bottom of which is raised to a height of 9 cm, so that it is convenient to drain the EM liquid. A cutout is made in the wall at the base on one side, above which there is access to a tap screwed into the bottom. Inside, above the bottom is a grate. There are inner and outer covers.

Before use, container needs to be collected. Why insert a tap into the tap hole so that the rubber sealing ring is outside, and put a nut on the tap thread from the inside. While holding the nut with your thumb, screw on the faucet and install it with the drain hole down. Place a rack at the bottom of the container

EM container usage:

As food () waste is formed, it is laid on a slatted bottom with a layer of 2-3 cm and abundantly moistened with a solution of the EM1 preparation at a concentration of 1:100. For a liter of non-chlorinated (or settled tap) water, 10 ml of the EM1 preparation is taken. An inner cover made of EM plastic is placed on top of the moistened layer. The lid works as an informational stabilizer for the fermentation process. It is also used for compacting compostable waste and only partially cuts off air. Then an outer lid is put on the container, completely blocking the access of air to the container. As necessary, new portions of waste are stacked in layers and moistened with a solution of the EM1 preparation. It is advisable to fold the waste once a day to limit the access of air inside the container. The appearance of a white coating on the surface of the waste is acceptable. Once every three days, it is necessary to drain the EM liquid that accumulates at the bottom of the container. When filling with kitchen waste, the container is emptied.

Waste fermented for 7-10 days can be immediately used as fertilizer, mixing with 20-40 parts of the earth. These wastes will be processed in the earth in 30 - 60 days. It is possible to fertilize fruit trees with fresh EM compost, burying it along the border of the tree crown. EM liquid can be used:

for the fermentation of kitchen waste, diluting it 50 times, i.e. after establishing the fermentation mode, you can already use the EM liquid, and use the EM preparation 1-2 times a month;
for processing organic waste (leaves, grass, manure). Waste is stored in layers of 15-25 cm and watered with a solution of EM-liquid with a concentration of 1:100; in summer conditions, EM-compost is processed into humus in 2 months;
for draining into sinks, bathtubs and toilet bowls, which will lead to the destruction of fatty plugs, the removal of urinary stone;
to eliminate odors and convert faeces from outdoor toilets into fertilizer. 250 ml is poured into one corner of the cesspool with a capacity of 2.5 cubic meters. The smell disappears in a week, after 3 months a fertilizer is obtained that does not contain not only pathogenic, but even conditionally pathogenic microorganisms. Those. feces make an excellent environmentally friendly fertilizer.
water indoor plants once or twice a week with a solution of a concentration of 1:2000 - 1:1000 (a teaspoon - a tablespoon in a bucket of non-chlorinated water) and widely use in the country.

Fermented waste - EM compost can be stored in a separate area in layers, alternating layers of EM compost with a thickness of 10-15 cm and 2-3 cm layers of earth. In summer conditions, in 1.5 - 2 months it is completely processed into humus.

In winter conditions, fermented waste and EM liquid can be frozen. When warm, use in the country. If you use four-liter EM buckets with a sealed lid, you can store EM liquid in them for up to 7-14 days at room temperature. Kitchen organic residues can be accumulated in the EM bucket for the same period before being loaded into the EM container. The resulting EM compost, after it has been taken out of the EM container, can also be stored in an EM bucket for up to 2 weeks at room temperature. The use of EM-liquid is similar to the use of the EM1 preparation itself. With one caveat: EM liquid must be used within two to three days

Under organic waste recyclable means:

waste from peeling vegetables, fruits,
various wastes from cutting meat and fish, except for bones and scales,
the remains of bakery products, flour, cereals and cereals, bran,
soaked paper and cardboard,
sawdust of hardwood trees (coniferous sawdust needs a higher concentration and should be mixed with other organic matter for better processing).

It is advisable to grind kitchen waste with a knife. Egg shells are not fermented, but can be added as fertilizer.

Russian version of the use of the EM container. It can be seen from the design of the container that it can be successfully used for pickling tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, sauerkraut. With this use of the EM container, the outer lid is removed, the inner lid is turned over and the load is placed on it. This design is convenient in that as the pickles are taken out of the bucket, the brine can be drained.

Humanity is gradually coming to the idea of the inevitability of recycling. People collect and recycle glass, plastic, paper and metal. For those who are not going to stop there and want to process the leftovers from their table, there are special composters that can be used at home and receive fertilizer that is useful for the garden and garden. Recycle has selected the most optimal and commercially available organic waste recycling machines.

Worm Cafe

The Worm Cafe vermicomposter from the Australian company Tumbleweed is one of the most popular home composters available in Russia. The principle of its work is based on the use of live worms. They, eating your organic waste, form the so-called biohumus and vermicay, which are used as fertilizer.

The recommended number of worms for settling in this composter is 5000 pieces, 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 recycled black plastic, which can then be recycled. The device consists of three trays, a ventilation system, a coconut fiber briquette, a tray with a tap and a dirt trap and a fly protection cover.

Before settling the worms in the composter, it is necessary to create the necessary conditions for them: wet the bedding block of coconut 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. You need to empty the composter as it fills up.

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. Otherwise, Can-O-Worms is constructed in the same way as the Worm Cafe. You need to empty it as it is full, but not more than once every two weeks.

Worm Factory 360

Worm Factory 360 is another model of Tumbleweed's home vermicomposter, 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 for the complete processing of waste in the first tray, in the future the process is faster - up to four weeks.

The Worm Factory 360 composter can be used both indoors and outdoors. On Ebay, it costs 4000 rubles, but you will have to agree on delivery with the seller separately.

Vermi Hut

Another home composter that can be purchased online is made by the American company VermiHut. It consists of five trays and, according to the manufacturer, can accommodate up to 5 kg of worms, which are capable of processing 2.5 kg of waste per day. The composition of the vermicomposter also includes a drip tray, a tray for collecting vermicelli, an air-ventilation lid, 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 USA.

NatureMill PRO HC52CA

NatureMill automatic composters are significantly more expensive than their non-automated counterparts, but are easier to use. They are electrically powered and look great in the kitchen. Capacity - up to 8 kg of waste at a time, which, under the influence of high temperatures, is disposed of by 70% into compost liquid. The rest of the coprolite can be used to fertilize the soil.

With the help of NatureMill composts, up to 55 kg of food waste can be processed per month. It is necessary to empty the container no more than once every two weeks, no other intervention is required.

SCD Probiotics K100

For those who want a simpler composter, the manual K100 from SCD Probiotics will do. It is an urn, similar to a trash can, but supplemented with a faucet to remove the liquid. The composter is designed for 19 kg of food waste. It does not require the settlement of worms, utilization is carried out due to the fermented organic matter "bokashi" (bokashi), grown on wheat bran.

SCD Probiotics K100 is not sold in Russia but can be purchased online. The kit includes a bag of bokashi microorganisms.

Mr. Eco

Another inexpensive option is the Mr.Eco composter. But it is only suitable for plant waste. It looks like a wastebasket and is attached to the inside door of a kitchen cabinet. To dispose of waste, it is necessary to throw food leftovers into the basket, after wrapping them in a paper towel or newspaper. Then scroll the handle, which is located on the right side of the urn. Garbage from the upper compartment will fall into the lower one - to the bottom of the composter, thus freeing up space for other waste.

The composter comes with biodegradable plastic bags that help eliminate odors and make cleaning the basket easier. They must be placed in the urn before its use. 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 are round in shape and, like the Mr.Eco machines, resemble a wastebasket in shape. They can hold up to 15 kg of waste at a time. Utilization of food residues is carried out through anaerobic decomposition processes similar to those that occur when Bokashi micro-organisms are added.

However, in the case of Urban composter, we are talking about microbes that come with a special compost spray. It is evenly distributed with the help of a dispenser on the garbage thrown into the bin. After filling the composter with waste, it is necessary to drain the liquid from it every four to five days using a tap. It will take four to eight weeks for the complete conversion of food residues into fertilizer.

Reference: The principle of operation of the vermicomposter

Vermicomposter consists of several trays. The first one 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, vacuum cleaner dust, animal hair and fur, newspapers, egg, milk or pizza packaging cartons, crushed eggshell.

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 debris is also placed. Worms from the lower tray moves 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 a 100% natural vermicompost that can be used to fertilize the garden. The more varied the waste you use, the better the coprolite will be.