BY: SHAWNTAE HARRIS
Gardening season is here, which means that now is the time to fertilize those plants. The summer is the time to save money by growing vegetables right from your own garden. However, maintaining a beautiful garden and a green lawn is really difficult. That is why Whirlpool has created a compost system to help fertilize the soil with food scraps from your home.
The old way of composting food included separating the items individually, then adding the manure, and still ensuring that it has enough moisture. A large environment, which requires consistent maintenance, used to be the ideal place to compost.
Whirlpool’s Zera Food Recycler allows anyone to put food waste straight in the compost and shut it tight. After a week, the device will process the food. It uses oxygen, heat, moisture and speed to turn food scraps into ready-to-use fertilizer within 24 hours.
The counter-height compost bin makes it easy to push all of the garbage into the chute. A coconut fiber and baking soda make up the components of the additive pack that is placed inside the bin. This is used to break down the food. The bin also includes a carbon filter to make sure the appliance is odorless.
Perhaps the coolest part of Zera is that it can process meats and dairy, unlike many other compost systems. Of the waste that one family produces, 95 per cent can be recycled.
For families who are worried if the device is child safe, a mobile app lets you track the device at all times. It allows you to lock the device and alerts you when it opens through the phone.
The device was created to cut down on the yearly waste produced by each household. In America, one household produces 400 pounds of waste a year. Which accounts for 20 per cent of America’s landfill.
There are some drawbacks to purchasing the recycle bin, however. Customers should not put bones and pits into the chute since the blades cannot cut through it. And, it is recommended to use the fertilizer only on the surface of the plant, not on the roots or the stem. The process takes one day. For the first 30 minutes, you can add more waste to it. But, after that, it should not be touched until after it processes all the food.
The convenience of an easy-to-use food recycler also comes with a hefty price tag. The device pre-sale price is $1,199. Plus, replacing all the parts every couple of months can be costly. The early bird price of $699 is sold out.
Currently, Zera is being tested in San Franciso, Chicago, and Austin. It will be distributed in America this summer.
