How does iCompost work?

iCompost is a convenient device which uses technology to make composting hassle free. It has several steps to make this happen:

1. Drying

Food waste is 90% water and it is the liquids which create offensive odours, attract flies and make a mess. Therefore, step 1 of iCompost is to dry the food waste so that it becomes stable. High temperatures are reached inside iCompost and it will blow the warm air out through a vent system, therefore it should be placed near a window or well ventilated room. The machine periodically rotates the grinder to ensure all parts of the waste get dried out.

2. Grinding

iCompost is equipped with a powerful grinder which breaks food waste into small particles to increase the contact area for the microorganisms to act, which drastically reduces the composting time. Some rubbery materials like onion and orange peels will not turn to sand-like particles but rather remain more course, but they will continue to degrade and release nutrients into the soil when buried.

Step 3: Cooling

The ground up waste is then cooled to a comfortable temperature for a few hours to allow the Compost Activator microorganisms to metabolise the most volatile sugars. This is actually happening throughout the process but cooling creates a certain stable period which we look to create.

Step 4: UV Sterilisation

Sometimes your food waste has been sitting outside for a while and can pickup diseases or eggs of vectors. In Step 4, iCompost uses a UV-C lamp to sterilise the waste to ensure the final compost is safe for use in the home garden. iCompost will periodically turn the blender so that all parts of the dried up food waste get exposed to the UV treatment. Although good compost should be full of microorganisms, when dealing with food waste, hygiene is a priority so we sacrifice compost quality for health and safety.

Step 5: Feed soil

The final output is a ready to use, early-stage compost material that will degrade further when buried, which feeds the soil food web. Remember: 'feed soil not plants'. The compost should be mixed into the soil of pot plants, vegetable gardens and flower beds. It should be completely covered from the surface so that fruit flies don't get curious to investigate. If you dig up the compost, or store it in a separate container, you may see a white hair-like mould growing if you have done a very good job. This is absolutely beneficial as mycelium is the basis of the soil food web.

If you don't have much garden space to use the compost, consider donating it to your nearest food garden project.

Step 6: Enjoy!

We just want to say we're so proud of you for leading the change towards a zero waste society.