Businesses and organizations are designing innovative technologies more and more to help tackle the world's waste problem. A more recent innovation is the electric Lomi food recycler.
While you've probably heard of electric composters and food recyclers before, you may have no idea what they actually do or how they work. By the end of this article, you should have a good understanding of how an electric food recycler like Lomi functions, and why they're so great for dealing with food waste. Here's everything we're going to be covering, but feel free to skip ahead to what you find most interesting:
- What is a food recycler?
- How do food recyclers work?
- Food recycling vs traditional composting
- Top 6 benefits of using an electric food recyclers
- The best electric food recycler in the market: Lomi
- Top 5 FAQs about food recyclers
Starting with the basics, we'll explain what an electric food recycler is and what it accomplishes.
What is an electric food recycler?
An electric food recycler is an easy-to-use appliance that can turn your kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich fertilizer for your plants. Most electric food recyclers can produce that fertilizer in less than 24 hours. You can then use the finished product from your food recycler directly in your garden or compost it further.
Unlike with traditional composting, an electric food recycler, like Lomi, is able to break down and process your food scraps with the help of some electricity. While this isn't as eco-friendly as backyard composting, it is still better for the environment than sending your food waste to a landfill. A food recycler’s compact size and ease of use make it accessible to those who can't compost traditionally, making it possible for everyone to reduce their environmental impact.
How does an electric food recycler work?
Electric food recyclers quickly turn your kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich plant food by creating ideal conditions for organic matter to break down and for helpful microorganisms to thrive. They're able to stimulate and accelerate aerobic decomposition through three distinct cycles: drying, mixing, and cooling.
There are, of course, some variations in how different electric composters and food cyclers work. There is also a big difference in the quality of the end product they produce. Lomi produces a high-quality nutrient-rich dirt that can be used for your plants, however the quality of soil amendment produced by Food cyclers is questionable. For this article, we’re focusing specifically on how Lomi functions. Let's take an in-depth look at the three cycles of Lomi's operation:
1. Drying
An electric food recycler's first step focuses on heating and drying its contents. Raising the heat allows important microbes such as the mesophiles and thermophiles to proliferate, letting them get a head start on the decomposition process. Secondly, because organic waste is mostly made up of water, the added heat can quickly reduce food waste volume.
This cycle also provides a couple of other benefits. The first is that it can kill some food pathogens that a traditional compost pile might not be able to. While traditional compost piles do heat up, you can't guarantee that they can get as hot as an electric food recycler. Similarly, electric food recyclers can get hot enough to kill weed seeds, which you would normally need to worry about in a backyard compost pile.
2. Mixing
During the mixing cycle, Lomi mimics the hot turning method used with traditional composting. The primary purpose of this cycle is to aerate organic matter. The helpful microorganisms that decompose organic matter require oxygen to survive. The “turning” process that electric food recyclers go through provides those microbes with plenty of oxygen. Lomi specifically is equipped with sensors to ensure the contents have ideal levels of moisture, heat, and oxygen throughout the entire process.
During this phase, the kitchen food recyclers will also grind the food scraps into smaller pieces. This increases the surface area for microbes to access. By having access to more of the organic matter at once, they’re able to break down that waste much quicker.
3. Cooling
The final phase cools down the contents for safe handling. The cooling cycle also acts as a maturing phase for the finished product. It continues to dehumidify and provide aeration, allowing the breakdown process to finish. After this stage, the output - we call it Lomi Earth - will be ready to be used in your garden or on your lawn.
Top 6 benefits of using an electric food recycler
Using an electric food recycler can be beneficial for both you and the environment. These are the top reasons having your own electric kitchen food recycler is a great idea:
- They make taking care of your food scraps effortless: Traditional composting methods take effort, especially if you want to make sure the process completes in less than a year. With an electric food recycler like Lomi, you only need to put in your food and then push a button.
- Electric food recyclers are extremely quick: While traditional composting can take anywhere from a month to over a year to finish, electric food recyclers can produce nutrient-rich fertilizer in less than a day. Lomi food recyclers even have an Eco-Express mode that can finish in as little as three hours.
- You don't ever have to worry about bad smells: Many electric food recyclers, such as Lomi, come with activated carbon filters that absorb odors and prevent any bad smells from entering your home.
- Your Lomi can fit on your counter: Traditional composting methods can take up a lot of space, and a traditional backyard compost pile requires a backyard to work with. Alternatively, Lomi will easily fit on any kitchen counter.
- A kitchen food recycler can break down waste you wouldn't compost traditionally: There's a variety of food waste, such as animal products, that you wouldn't be able to compost traditionally because they would attract pests. That's not something you need to worry about with an electric food recycler.
- They reduce methane emissions: Food waste in a landfill emits methane as it breaks down. It can even do so in a regular compost pile. An electric kitchen food recycler eliminates that release of methane with its aeration process.
Food recycling vs traditional composting
Electric food recyclers and traditional composting are actually quite similar since food recyclers simulate the same process as traditional compost. The main differences between the two are how quickly the process finishes, the amount of energy required, and the finished product.
Because electric composters and food recyclers require energy to work, they are inherently less eco-friendly than a backyard compost pile. However, because food recyclers reduce food waste volume and eliminate methane emissions, they're still the superior option to just tossing your food scraps in the trash. And some countertop food recyclers, like Lomi are also designed with energy efficiency in mind.
The finished product from both processes is also slightly different because of how quickly electric food recyclers work. Both regular compost and the fertilizer you get from kitchen food recyclers make great soil amendments for your plants (see note below).
The output from a kitchen food recycler (we call ours Lomi Earth) can also be placed in a traditional compost bin for further composting. This can be beneficial if you want a traditional compost pile, but don't want that food waste emitting methane gas.
Overall, there isn't necessarily a better way to manage your food waste, just different ways: we hope you choose the one that’s right for you. Here are some pros and cons that can help you decide which is the better option for you:
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Pros |
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Electric Food Recycling |
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Traditional Composting |
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NOTE: Remember that not all food recyclers are created equal. Lomi has a Grow mode that produces high-quality nutrient-rich fertilizer that is great for your plants and garden whereas other food recyclers use high temperatures and shorter cycles so the end product is much inferior. The end product of most food cyclers is nothing more than dehydrated and ground food waste.
The best electric food recycler in the market: Lomi
Price: $599 | Get Lomi
When it comes to electric composters and food recyclers, the Lomi Food Recycler is as good as it gets. Lomi has a sleek, minimalistic design and compact size, making it a great fit for homes of all sizes and styles. Because of how easy it is to use and its constant supply of nutrient-rich plant food, Lomi is also a fantastic tool for teaching kids sustainable habits.
You can check out our article on whether or not you should buy Lomi to see if it’s right for you.
Top 5 FAQs about food recyclers
If you still have some questions about electric kitchen composters, here are our answers to your most common questions:
1. What can you put in an electric food recycler?
Any food waste that you would put in a normal compost pile can go into an electric food recycler. Depending on the food recycler, you may be able to put in food you wouldn't normally put in a compost pile. For example, some electric food recyclers won't have any issues breaking down animal products.
You can find more details about what can go into Lomi on our website.
2. How do you use an electric food recycler?
How easy it is to use an electric food recycler is one of the best parts about having one. All you need to do is fill it up with your food scraps throughout the day. Once it's full, put the lid on it, plug it in, and then push a button. You'll then just need to wait for it to finish running.
With Lomi, you'll also have the option of two different modes to run. The first is the Eco-Express Mode, which is the quickest and uses the least amount of energy. The second Grow Mode, which takes the longest but produces the best nutrient-rich dirt for your plants.
3. How long do electric food recycler take to make fertilizer?
How long it takes an electric food recycler to process food scraps will fully depend on the kitchen recycler, but most electric recyclerwill finish within 24 hours. Depending on the mode you choose, Lomi specifically can produce dirt anywhere between three and 20 hours. The times for each mode are as follows:
- Eco-Express: 3 - 5 hours
- Grow: 16 - 20 hours
4. What can you do with the dirt from your electric food recycler?
What you do with the dirt from your electric food recycler is up to you, but we would highly suggest using it to nourish your plants. You can mix it with some soil and add it to your gardens to provide plants with extra nutrients. If you don't have plants but know someone who does, share your dirt with them!
If you also have a backyard compost pile, you can add the dirt from your electric food recycler in there. This can help quicken the regular composting process, and initially composting with an electric compost bin prevents the food from releasing GHGs
5. How are electric food recyclers helping the environment?
Electric food recyclers are helping the environment in a few different ways. First, they're making home food recycling more accessible to more people. Second, they prevent food waste from reaching landfills. Finally, they prevent the breakdown of food waste from releasing methane into the atmosphere.
Now that you understand how electric food recyclers work, it’ll be easy for you to start minimizing your food waste and promoting plant growth. You can easily order your Lomi online and start recycling your food waste as soon as possible! In the meantime, you can browse our blog to learn more about composting, food recycling, gardening, and reducing kitchen waste.
Written by: Sereana Simpson