Panasonic has developed an electric compost machine for home use that turns your organic trash into fertilizer in just a few hours. The machine will be released at the end of April in Japan and there's no word as to whether it will be sold in the U.S.
The machine, the MS-N53, uses a platinum-palladium catalyst to break down the garbage and features settings to create wetter or dryer compost. Users can pick their preference and the trash will compost in three to six hours depending on the selection.
The drawbacks to this seemingly nifty gadget are the size and the price. The machine can only compost two kilograms of waste and with a platinum-palladium catalyst, you know it's going to be expensive. The MS-N53 will sell for the Japanese equivalent of $881.
With the current global mindset of saving instead of spending, I think the MS-N53 will have a hard time finding people to buy it. The idea is a good one. Most people would be keener on the idea of composting if they didn't have to worry about the time it takes to wait for waste to become fertilizer and especially if they could cut out the smells during that time, but it will take a much cheaper price to truly entice people. If this concept were improved with a lower price and a bigger capacity, I think Panasonic could be onto something.
via GoodCleanTech
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written by Steve Hussey, March 19, 2009
I have a Nature mill (www.naturemill,com) electric composter that I paid $199 for. It churns through a 120 pounds of kitchen scraps a month, rotating them and heating them. It also produces compost tea. It's been running for about 3 months now. Great.
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written by Foraker, March 19, 2009
Remember that Japanese homes generally are very small, with little if any back yard or garage. So this may serve a niche in Japan.
A worm bin would seem to be easier, however, and it would use less electricity (none).
A worm bin would seem to be easier, however, and it would use less electricity (none).
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written by Jon, March 19, 2009
I was going to mention the nature mill but you beat me to it. Even the most expensive model is 399 but you can also get one for 299 or 199. I've heard nothing but good things about them.
I know they usually offer a discount around earth day and so I'm probably going to buy one then.
I know they usually offer a discount around earth day and so I'm probably going to buy one then.
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written by Mario, March 19, 2009
Please, not so obvious. It seems the guys from natural mill are following up these posts. I have bought a natural mill and works pretty bad. The experience is awful, no design, it uses a lot of energy and I had a really bad delivery experience.
I gave up after having several colonies dying and rotting in my kitchen. I dont have the money to buy the panasonic one but it looks good, it promises and I believe it delivers so I rather spend more money and have something that works than felling cheated.
I gave up after having several colonies dying and rotting in my kitchen. I dont have the money to buy the panasonic one but it looks good, it promises and I believe it delivers so I rather spend more money and have something that works than felling cheated.
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written by Crighton, March 19, 2009
Japanese colonic waste requires platinum catalyst treatment due to presence of partially digested AAA batteries.
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written by Natalia, March 20, 2009
if it goes through two kilos of waste in a few hours, why would you need more space? and japanese houses are indeed notoriously tiny. you want to save all the space you can. we also pay for our garbage here; composting it would save the money it would cost to dispose of it as well.
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written by dialtone, March 20, 2009
I live in Minnesota & I save my fruit/vegetable scraps in plastic coffee cans (lids on) & then about every two weeks get out a blender & blend up the scraps with some water - in summer I dig a hole in the compost pile - pour in the blended mixture & cover it back up with dirt; winter time - store the plastic cans in the basement or garage (where they freeze - no smell) then bury it in spring time - the grass for about 5 feet around the compost pile grows at least twice as fast as the rest of the lawn & much greener also - the next time I bury another batch the worms are everywhere & are really big & fat; my theory why wait for bacteria etc. to break down the compost - grind/blend it up & speed up the process
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written by Vicus, March 20, 2009
Why stop at storing the waste over the winter? Just grind it up and recycle it into your cooking. As long as you don't leave the leftovers unrefrigerated for more than 6 hours, you can safely re-process.
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written by Lex, March 21, 2009
The Koreans have a far better solution for home food waste. Near the dumpsters/recycling containers sit a couple of 55 gallon drums. You simply put your food scraps into those and every so often a couple of farmers come around and pick them up...whereupon they are fed to the pigs that are fed to the people putting the kitchen scraps into the drums.
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written by Jon, March 22, 2009
You've got to be kidding me right? I don't work for the company and I've never purchased one of their products. I'm just interested in composting, that's all.
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written by Charli, March 23, 2009
Here in Seattle, even apartment/condo dwellers and businesses can put their food waste into the yard waste bins and have it picked up for free. It's sent to an industrial composter (Cedar Grove) where it becomes compost in 60 days and is then sold at retailers.
At the end of the month a new waste company (that uses CNG trucks even!) will be collecting yard waste weekly meaning that we can even send cheese and meat to the yard waste bin. Not something would try with one of these little doohickies.
At the end of the month a new waste company (that uses CNG trucks even!) will be collecting yard waste weekly meaning that we can even send cheese and meat to the yard waste bin. Not something would try with one of these little doohickies.
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written by Angelie, March 25, 2009
If you composte your garbage:
- Then you have enough space for yours plants
- You care for the idea of reducing green waste
- You want to save the energy needed to get industrially rid of garbage
- You want to save a bit a money by getting free nutrients for your plants
Yet, this device needs energy and I fear that if it only takes 2kg, a family will have to make it work probably every day, unless they carry on throwing away their garbage. What a waste of energy for so little result.
Plus it is very costly, is it really worth it?
Finally, if you compost several times a week, then obviously, you have quite some space for some big plants... And contrary to a wide belief, only flats in cities like Tokyo are very small, but I've been travelling to Japan and outside big central cities, homes are rather "normal".
So this electric compost machine is just an expensive gadget...
- Then you have enough space for yours plants
- You care for the idea of reducing green waste
- You want to save the energy needed to get industrially rid of garbage
- You want to save a bit a money by getting free nutrients for your plants
Yet, this device needs energy and I fear that if it only takes 2kg, a family will have to make it work probably every day, unless they carry on throwing away their garbage. What a waste of energy for so little result.
Plus it is very costly, is it really worth it?
Finally, if you compost several times a week, then obviously, you have quite some space for some big plants... And contrary to a wide belief, only flats in cities like Tokyo are very small, but I've been travelling to Japan and outside big central cities, homes are rather "normal".
So this electric compost machine is just an expensive gadget...
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written by Craig, March 31, 2009
I love the idea of composting and having something to help keep the smell down as i live in a neighbor hood where the HOA is pretty anal. So i got a nature mill and after being inside for 2 days, it was sent out side, it is always getting jammed up and has never deposited the dirt in the catcher below - good idea, bad execution.
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written by Steve Jennings, April 09, 2009
I live in Japan (Ota City) where the government will pay a subsidy for composting machines. For this one, I think it is about 15,000 yen (150 dollars at the present exchange rate). By the way, it is true that in the countryside of Japan the houses are a reasonable size (I am British though).
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written by Matt, August 05, 2009
Nature Mill composters are terrible and their customer service is even worst! If you don't belive me just try to contact them. DON'T BUY IT!
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written by Morgan, February 08, 2010
Yes, just bought a NatureMill composter and I'm not satisfied at all. I bought the Pro and it died after just 3 weeks. You can't return the machine at all so no way back. Stay away from them!!
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written by leandro, February 20, 2010
muito se fala sobre esta máquina, mas parece LENDA, ninguem nunca viu, e nem sabe onde encontrar. se tiver alguém que fala português nesta comunidade, favor dar uma dica onde comprar uma destas máquinas de fazer adubo.
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written by Graham, May 14, 2010
I'm not sure that you really need an electric composter unless you throw away a lot of waste or have a huge kitchen! While a good idea, I always think composting should be a natural process. After all, composting occurs naturally outside. Or even small indoor composters like a Kitchen composter can be beneficial.
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