Scrap Eater Composter:
(photo of current
version is below)
Because of
the scarcity of Redwood, the redwood Scrap Eater has been discontinued.
Recently, it was discovered that ¾ of a Bordeaux wine barrel works exceedingly
well. The barrels are solid Oak and made by coopers in the US and France. The
barrels were used for wine making for about 10 years; the aroma of the wine
still lingers in the barrels.
These barrels are a bit taller (28") and larger in diameter (28") than our
previous Redwood composters. The additional height and diameter gives the composter a little more room for growing plants and composting food. We expect
these barrels to last between 10 and 15 years. The craftsmanship, shape and
quality of materials used to manufacture these barrels make our new Scrap Eater
composters even more visually appealing than our previous Redwood model.
(photo of old version below)
A Stylish, High-Tech
Composter
Creating mineral-rich soil from your table scraps is finally convenient,
clean and easy with the Sun Frost Scrap Eater - a state of the art "living
machine." This composter is a highly functional piece of appropriate
technology that is also stylish and fun to use.
Plants growing in the soil on the perimeter of the Scrap Eater feed directly
off nutrients that you create in the composting section. This miniature
ecosystem composts food scraps in a sealed compartment so you can display the
Scrap Eater on a deck, porch or even an apartment patio without concern about
odors, insects or animals.
WHY COMPOST?
Composting is an environmentally friendly way to get rid of your kitchen and
garden scraps. Microorganisms in the compost cleanly and conveniently convert
plant scraps into humus, the same natural fertilizer that develops on the
forest floor and nourishes the world's trees. The Scrap Eater helps keep your
garbage can clean and odor-free by accepting foods that would otherwise rot and
produce odors. It saves you money on trash pickups and extends the life of
landfills.
ENGINEERED TO BE THE BEST
You will enjoy this beautiful addition to your home for many years. The
Scrap Eater is an attractive garden planter, as well as an efficient composter.
It is manufactured by Sun Frost, the company that pioneered energy-efficient
refrigerators. Sun Frost has applied its experience in industrial design and
solar technology to create the most effective, sturdy and compact composter on
the market. Measuring two feet high and two feet in diameter, this composter is
constructed of wine barrel wood. The clear dome is made of acrylic plastic, a material that
resists solar degradation.
(photo of old version below)
A LIVING MACHINE
The Scrap Eater is the only truly solar-powered composter. The composting
process is accelerated by the warm environment. Using conventional techniques a
compost pile at least 3 ft. across is needed to obtain necessary elevated
temperatures. To compensate, the Sun Frost Scrap Eater uses solar architectural
techniques, glazing and insulation to attain elevated temperatures. The solar
heat collected through the dome, along with the heat generated internally by
the respiration of the composting microbes is trapped by the insulated walls of
the composting chamber. A unique feature of this insulation is its ability to
keep the heat in, while it allows oxygen to freely flow to the composting
microbes.
The unique shape of the acrylic bubble not only collects solar energy, but
channels water to where it is needed most. Water that condenses on the inside
of the dome runs down to the plants on the perimeter of the barrel. This
process has a dual purpose. First, it reduces the need to water the plants
because they are receiving water from the condensation under the dome. Second,
the water is flowing to the outer perimeter rather than dripping into the
composting chamber, which reduces the moisture level of the compost and the
amount of dry material which must be added to the compost.
When the plants growing on the perimeter of the composter mature they will
extend their roots to the bottom of the compost chamber and directly extract
nutrients and moisture from the composted food scraps. This process continues
the natural cycle much like it occurs in the wider biosphere.
USING THE COMPOSTER
The Scrap Eater is easy to use - you add your kitchen scraps several times a
week. Periodically, you mix the pile with the supplied stirrer and add some dry
material to the mix - a scoop of peat moss, some dry leaves, or a little
sawdust. The Scrap Eater is emptied when it fills up - six months for a family
of four, and two years or more for a single-person household. What comes out -
the compost - is a perfect plant fertilizer that can be used anywhere in your
garden, including the growing area on the perimeter of the Scrap Eater.
HOW IT WORKS
The Scrap Eater can be used to rapidly compost large batches of food scraps
at one time, but is typically used by adding small amounts of scraps every few
days. The ability of the composter to rapidly decompose food scraps decreases
the rate at which the chamber fills up. As food scraps decompose they will
decrease in volume by 20 times or more. Where does the food go? Part of the
material is lost through evaporation, but most of the scraps are consumed by
the hungry microbes in the composter and exhausted as carbon dioxide and water
vapor.
If large quantities of food are added at one time, higher composting
temperatures may be attained. Temperatures as high as 150°F may be
generated with the addition of at least 1 cubic foot of the right combination
of food and dry material. Conventional composters require 30 times the material
to reach these high temperatures.
VERMICULTURE
Worms may also be added to the Scrap Eater to assist in the composting
process. They help to aerate the soil while producing a very effective soil
additive. The compost chamber will typically be 30°F above the ambient
temperature and during the summer may be too hot for the worms. To avoid these
warm conditions the worms will migrate to the cooler perimeter where the plants
are growing. As they migrate, nutrients from the composting area will be
transported to the plants growing on the perimeter.
Scrap Eater Composter:
NOTE: This item is made to order. Please allow time for
this item to be made plus 5 to 7 business days to arrive. How long it will take
will vary depending on the current backlog of orders. It typically takes about 4
weeks to make but can take longer, especially during the holiday season.
