Most food waste can be turned into healthy compost for your garden or potted plants, but urban dwellers don’t have an easy way to compost their own waste into a nutrient-rich soil supplement without an outdoor composting container. Or, perhaps they do have the outdoor space, but other issues prevent them from composting outside (attracting hungry bears or violating local ordinances, for example). Food Cycle Science, the Canadian producers of organic food waste recycling solutions for the foodservice industry, offers an interesting new solution with the launch of the Food Cycler:Home, the first residential composting appliance. The 1 cubic meter size unit is able to operate anywhere there is an electrical outlet, and can be incorporated into the home from as early as the design phase. Food Cycle Science hopes the Food Cycler will help reduce the 475 pounds of food waste each person creates every year.
The Food Cycler eliminates the use of drains, venting, or additives used in traditional composting process and is claimed to be completely odorless, noiseless, and cost-effective. Through a simple four step process, food (cooked or uncooked) is collected in the device’s removable basket and then grinded and dehydrated to produce organic material in as little as three hours. The manufacturer is currently crowdfunding on indiegogo. To get one of the first units, you must make a donation of $399 Canadian (approximately $358 US). If you aren’t sure yet if you want to be an early adopter, check out the site just to see the video of how it works — it’s really an interesting new type of residential appliance.
All images courtesy Food Cycle Science.
